California Policy Report

The Issue: Since the passage of Proposition 8 on November 4, 2008 the response from the Prop 8 opposition community has been varied. Some have chosen legal means to overturn the measure or petitions to the Governor. Others, however have targeted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon Church) with protests, rallies and sometimes hateful means of retaliation. Proposition 8 is a ballot measure that was placed on the November ballot. The proposition limited the right of marriage to only unions between men and women and passed with 52.3% of the vote. Since Prop 8 passed, there has been a ... Read Full Story

In the final stretch of this election, Proposition 8 is dangerously close in the polls—after months of it being safely behind. With massive out-of-state funding, including $8.4 million from the Mormon Church, the “Yes on 8” campaign has scared many swing voters into falsely believing that marriage equality will intrude on their religion and indoctrinate their children. And while the San Francisco Chronicle took a formal position against it, the paper’s news coverage—which has a far greater impact than its editorial endorsements—has actively pushed a meme that helps Prop 8’s message. Over the last two weeks, the paper has treated a first-grade teacher’s wedding ... Read Full Story

Arnold Schwarzenegger Supports Proposition 11 The Issue: California voters will be voting on whether or not to approve Proposition 11 which would take the ability to draw the boundaries for state elective office away from the elected officials who hold those offices. The Proposition is a project of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Co-Chair of the Yes on Prop 11 committee (along with former California State Controller Steve Westly) and he has been jetting across the country raising money to support the measure. According to the Yes on Propostion 11 Website , Schwarzenegger made an appearance Thursday with Steve Westly, local elected officials in the ... Read Full Story

On Nov. 4, voters in California will go to the polls and decide on gay marriage by voting “yes” or “no” on Proposition 8. Prop. 8 supporters and critics are spending a lot of money on advertising to sway voters.In the second of a two-part series, KCRA 3’s Adwatchers evaluated an ad featuring Julia and Sam Thoron, a married couple from San Francisco. The Adwatchers are Barbara O’Connor, a public communications professor at Sacramento State University; Steve Swatt, a political analyst and former political reporter; and Kim Nalder, a government professor. The ad starts with Julia and Sam Thoron talking about their family.”My wife ... Read Full Story

Mormon Church officials are trimming their efforts on behalf of a ballot initiative to abolish same-sex marriage in California, a church spokeswoman said. The church, headquartered in Salt Lake City, will continue to work on behalf of California’s Proposition 8, but will stop making telephone calls from Utah to California voters, church spokeswoman Kim Farrah said in a news release. The church has been a pre-eminent supporter of the ballot initiative and, at the request of the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, its members have been phone banking from Utah to push for its passage Nov. 4, The Sacramento Bee reported Saturday. “However, the ... Read Full Story