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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fired up the Republican Party's faithful Saturday by endorsing Proposition 75, an initiative that would make it harder for public employee unions to use members' dues for political campaigns. "The fact is that our employee union bosses have just simply too much power over the budget, too much power over the members' paychecks and too much power over our state," he told a luncheon crowd at the state Republican Party convention. He said public employee union members shouldn't be "forced to contribute to causes, campaigns and controversial issues that they don't agree with. That is not a...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, cheered on by hundreds of grassroots Republican supporters, expanded his Nov. 8 special election reform agenda on Saturday and endorsed Proposition 75 -- the initiative aimed at curbing the political clout of overwhelmingly Democratic public employee unions. "Public employee unions' members should not be forced to contribute to causes, candidates and controversial issues that they don't believe in," said Schwarzenegger, in remarks during a luncheon before hundreds of supporters at the California Republican Convention at the Anaheim Marriott. "That's not a contribution. That is a tax."

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Turning up the heat in his ongoing battle with public employee unions, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger officially endorsed a ballot measure Saturday that would require those unions to seek written permission from members before using dues money for political purposes. Democrats, the principal beneficiaries of labor union contributions, have viewed the measure as a virtual declaration of war on their political power in the state. Addressing an enthusiastic luncheon crowd at the state Republican Party convention, Schwarzenegger announced his support for the measure dubbed "Paycheck Protection," which will appear on the ballot as Proposition 75. The initiative...

Public employee unions that have collected about $18 million so far to defeat Proposition 75 began spending their campaign largesse this week on a 30-second television advertisement that eventually will run in every media market in the state. The measure would bar public employee unions from using dues collected from members for political purposes without the annual written consent of the employee. Below is a text of the TV spot and an analysis by Andy Furillo of The Bee Capitol Bureau:ANNOUNCER: What's the hidden agenda behind Prop. 75? Here are some clues. When Arnold's cuts threatened our schools, health and...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The California Teachers Association, among the most vocal opponents of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election initiatives, contributed $21 million this week to groups campaigning against the governor. The high-dollar distribution comes just as the fall campaign is set to begin in earnest, with both sides targeting the Labor Day weekend as the unofficial kickoff. Schwarzenegger helped raise and spend nearly $20 million during the first half of the year to qualify and promote his ballot measures and has raised about $6 million since July. Marty Wilson, the governor's fundraising manager, said he expects Schwarzenegger will reach the...

I've been getting calls about the various ballot propositions for the Special Election. Here's how I see them: Proposition 73: Parental Notification for Abortion. If parental consent is required for a child to use a tanning booth or get her ears pierced, shouldn’t parents at least be notified if she’s getting an abortion? YES. Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, this should be the all-time no-brainer. Proposition 74: Teacher Tenure. Do parents have a right to expect a higher level of competence before a teacher is granted life-time tenure? YES. This modest measure simply increases the teacher probation period from two...

The measure would require public employee labor groups to obtain consent from members before spending dues on political campaigns. California's public employee unions, which have formed the core resistance to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's agenda this year, could lose much of their political potency through a measure on the Nov. 8 special election ballot. Proposition 75, backed by a coalition of business groups and anti-tax advocates aligned with the Republican Party, would require unions to obtain written permission from members each year before directing money from their dues into political campaigns. Similar measures in other states have led to dramatic decreases...

The following initiatives have qualified for California's Nov. 8 special election ballot. Propositions 74, 76 and 77 are part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "year of reform" package. PROPOSITION 73, PARENTAL PERMISSION FOR ABORTION: A constitutional amendment promoted by anti-abortion activists that would require girls 17 and younger to get parental permission to receive an abortion. It is opposed by abortion-rights organizations that say many minors live in homes where they risk emotional abuse or physical violence, or where the pregnancy is a result of incest. PROPOSITION 74, TEACHER TENURE: Would increase the time required for public school teachers to gain...

SACRAMENTO – With negotiations between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders at a halt, both sides are poised to go to political war in a Nov. 8 special election, even as the number of ballot measures dwindle and new calls are made by some to cancel the balloting all together. "We are so deep into it now, I don't see how you can get the toothpaste back into the tube," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles. "We are so far down the path, I think we should have the special election and put the whole issue to rest." The...

SACRAMENTO - Labor groups opposing a special election measure that would restrict the use of union dues are asking a state watchdog agency to order the release of a list of donors supporting the measure. Opponents of Proposition 75 said the identities of individual donors have been illegally hidden behind a business-oriented political action committee that provided more than half the money used to qualify the measure for the ballot. Unions filed a complaint earlier this year with the state Fair Political Practices Commission and said they need to see the list of donors to the Small Business Action Committee...

Proposition 73 would require notifying parents when a minor seeks an abortion, Proposition 74 would extend the probation period for new teachers from two to five years. Proposition 75 would require public employee unions to get annual written permission from members to use dues for campaign contributions. Proposition 76 would limit state spending, alter minimum school funding requirements, require the governor to cut appropriations in certain circumstances and impose prior year appropriations when there's a budget deadlock in the Legislature. Proposition 77 is an attempt to take the power to draw legislative and congressional districts away from the Legislature and...