Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had until today to call a November special election. The move would set in motion a battle royal between the governor and his business allies and the Democrats and their labor allies.
The issues: a ban on using union dues for political purposes, a discount program for prescription drugs for low-income residents and re-regulation of much of the state’s electricity market.
Schwarzenegger pushed for the special election to push his reform agenda, even though a recent statewide survey showed 61% of Californians don’t want the Nov. 8 vote.
His redistricting proposal and a budget spending cap didn’t hit the 50% support mark in the May Public Policy Institute of California poll. Expect a blizzard of opposition from labor unions and Democrats to come.
Fine is a staff writer with the Los Angeles Business Journal.
