FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ASUC Senate Passes CalSERVE Bill Opposing Proposition 32

September 26th: The ASUC Senate passed CalSERVE Senator Klein Lieus Senate Bill 50 opposing Proposition 32, a measure on the November statewide ballot. Proposition 32 would gut unions ability to raise money for political campaigns and create special exemptions for corporations to continue their unbridled political spending. Many students and activists from the CalSERVE communities attended the meeting to show their support and to encourage senators to vote Yes on SB 50. Proposition 32 is a thinly-disguised attempt by large corporations, millionaires and Super PAC donors to strip Californias labor unions of equal standing in our political process by singling them out for strong restrictions from raising and spending money on political activity. Meanwhile, although corporations would ostensibly face similar restrictions, the measure would in fact do nothing to reign in corporate political spending. The campaign for Prop 32 claims the measure would stop special interests, when in fact it would only further empower the most powerful among them. As Caitlin Quinn, the Political Director for Cal Berkeley Democrats, explained during the Senate meeting: Prop 32 is straight-up deceitful. Head Stewards of UAW 2865 (the graduate students union) Katy Fox-Hodess and Shannon Ikebe spoke in favor of SB 50 and against Proposition 32 before senators and community members gave their input. Members of Berkeley College Republicans spoke in opposition to the bill, but ultimately the Senate voted to oppose Proposition 32 and to pass SB 50. The nal vote count was 10-4-4. All six CalSERVE senators and four others voted in favor of the bill. Four Student Action senators, Rosemary Hua, Ryan Kang, Tom Lee and Emily White, voted against SB 50, in line with the recommendations of representatives from Berkeley College Republicans, while another four senators abstained from voting. Two senators were absent. CalSERVE Campus Mobilizing Coordinators Austin Pritzkat and Devonte Jackson are currently running a campaign to educate voters about Proposition 32 and to encourage them to vote against it. For more information, please contact: Matthew Enger CalSERVE Communications Coordinator calserve.communications@gmail.com +1 510 255 1984 ###