Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
CALIFORNIA LABOR BACKS PROP 6, IS THAT ENOUGH TO MOVE THE NEEDLE?
Polls show that voters are on the fence about Proposition 6 , the ballot measure to eliminate involuntary servitude for incarcerated people, which proponents describe as “slave labor.”
Half of likely voters oppose the measure, while 46% told the Public Policy Institute of California that they support . PPIC took the survey in September.
Could a major union endorsement be the difference maker that ballot measure campaign needs?
On Tuesday, several labor organizations threw their support behind the measure, including the California Labor Federation , California Professional Firefighters , California Teachers Association , SEIU California , UFCW Western States , UAW Region 6 and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Sacramento Chapter .
Brian K. Rice , president of California Professional Firefighters, said in a statement that his organization recognizes “the profound need for prioritizing rehabilitation during time served over further punishment.”
“We believe the incarcerated should be focused on rehabilitative, voluntary work, and educational programs that truly prepare them for successful re-entry into society,” he said.
BONTA TIKTOK LAWSUIT DRAWS SUPPORT, CRITICISM
TikTok ’s troubles continue to grow.
On Tuesday, the embattled social media short video platform was sued in 13 states and the District of Columbia. One of those states? California .
In a statement released Tuesday, Attorney General Rob Bonta ’s office listed a number of TikTok features that he said the app uses to addict young people — features that include endless scrolling, notifications and autoplay, among others.
A copy of the California lawsuit can be read here .
TikTok has responded criticizing the lawsuit and the 14 attorneys general, including Bonta, for suing the corporation instead of working with it. The company also has defended its policies and safeguards intended to protect minor users.
The lawsuit comes as clock is ticking for TikTok, which by law must either be divested from its Beijing-based owner ByteDance or else be banned in the U.S. TikTok and others are challenging that ban in a legal battle that could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court .
One group hailing Tuesday’s lawsuit announcement is Common Sense Media , which has long advocated for tougher laws regulating social media.
“We have argued for years, as have our allies in the states and in Congress, that it is precisely the design features of social media platforms — the addictive algorithms, autoplay of videos, constant notifications, and more — that cause children and teens to spend far too much time on their devices and drive kids to unwanted places online, resulting in mental, physical, and sometimes deadly, harm,” said Danny Weiss , chief advocacy officer for the organization.
Not everyone is a fan of this action.
TechDirt blogger Mike Masnick , who writes about social media and civil liberties, said in a post on Bluesky that “these lawsuits are so stupid.”
“They’re based on (1) a misunderstanding of the research (2) a misunderstanding of the First Amendment and (3) wishful thinking about reality. Nearly all of this is really the political class trying to shift blame for their own failures in fixing societal-level problems,” he wrote.
CALIFORNIA, THE MOST POPULOUS STATE, FAVORS THE POPULAR VOTE
Californian voters are painfully aware that the Golden State doesn’t really matter when it comes to the presidential election. A dedicated blue state, California doesn’t typically see presidential candidate visits — except when they need to come raise money.
Candidates generally see more utility spending their hard-earned campaign cash in critical swing states, like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
So it should come as little surprise that a majority of Californians favor abandoning the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular vote for president. According to the Public Policy Institute of California , which recently polled this question , 69% of California adults said they would favor that approach. That number rises to 70% for likely voters.
There’s a catch though. (Isn’t there always?)
That opinion is heavily divided along partisan lines.
While 83% of Democrats and 67% of independents support abolishing the Electoral College, 50% of Republicans believe that should happen. The more liberal you are, the more likely you are to support it.
Nearly every “very liberal” person surveyed (98%) said yes, while on the other side of the spectrum only 32% of “very conservative” people said yes.
If the popular vote determined who was president, Democratic candidates Al Gore would have won in 2000 and Hillary Clinton would have won in 2016.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Sadly, this is not the first time this blatant display of hatred has cast a shadow on our community. But it’s our job as leaders to do all we can to ensure it is the last.”
- Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita, Democratic congressional candidate George Whitesides and Democratic State Senate candidate Kipp Mueller in a joint statement responding to the flying of a Confederate flag at a rally for Donald Trump in Santa Clarita. Trump was not at the rally.
Best of The Bee:
On ‘Call Her Daddy,’ Kamala Harris said a majority of abortion seekers are moms. Is that true? Via Andrew Sheeler .
Kamala Harris touts big growth in manufacturing jobs under Joe Biden. Is that true? Via David Lightman .
California, New York lead multi-state lawsuit against TikTok , alleging harm to children, via Andrew Sheeler .
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