Friday, September 21, 2018

Governor Brown again vetoes bill to ban per-signature payments on ballot petitions
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Tuesday by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-San Jose, that would have prohibited signature gatherers from being paid for every signature they collect on petitions for an initiative, referendum or recall. The bill would have allowed signature gatherers to be paid by the hour or daily. Low said paying by the signature creates an incentive to mislead voters or forge signatures. Brown said "As I stated in my veto message to an almost identical bill--SB 168 of 2011 'per-signature payment is often the most cost-effective method for collecting the hundreds of thousands of signatures needed to qualify a ballot measure. Eliminating this option will drive up the cost of circulation ballot measures, thereby further favoring the wealthiest interests.' While I understand the potential abuses of the current per-signature payment system, my perspective has not changed since 2011. I cannot sign this bill." Bravo.
 
Brown Signs Bill to Protect Union Construction Contractors.
 AB 1654 (Rubio) prohibits union construction workers from using the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) to obtain redress for wage and hour violations. The sponsor? California Conference of Carpenters--a labor union representing workers! Now why would a group who represents workers sponsor a bill that denies these same workers an ability to sue their employer for wage and hour violations? They claim "while PAGA is a powerful tool for unrepresented workers because it allows direct litigation by workers, it has resulted in unintended consequences that actually undermine workers most important workplace protection, a Collective Bargaining Agreement." Hmmm, it couldn't also be used to persuade a contractor to recognize could it?