NASW-CA’s CalPACE Committee convened recently to vote and decide on endorsements for the upcoming election. You can download the following election information in PDF format here:

Social Work Voter Guide for the 2020 General Election

Candidate Endorsements are made by the CalPACE Committee and are based on the candidate’s commitment to the NASW Code of Ethics and official delegate assembly positions in Social Work Speaks. CalPACE evaluates candidates by sending out questionnaires and evaluating incumbent vote records.

Senate District 03	Bill Dodd	Assembly District 35	Dawn Addis
Senate District 05	Susan Eggman, LCSW, PhD	Assembly District 37	Steve Bennett
Senate District 07	Steve Glazer	Assembly District 39	Luz Maria Rivas
Senate District 09	Nancy Skinner	Assembly District 40	James Ramos
Senate District 11	Scott Weiner	Assembly District 41	Chris Holden
Senate District 13	Josh Becker	Assembly District 43	Laura Friedman
Senate District 17	John Laird	Assembly District 44	Jacqui Irwin
Senate District 19	S. Monique Limon	Assembly District 45	Jesse Gabriel
Senate District 21	Kipp Mueller	Assembly District 46	Adrin Nazarian
Senate District 23	Abigail Medina	Assembly District 47	Eloise Gomez Reyes
Senate District 25	Anthony Portantino Jr.	Assembly District 48	Blanco Rubio
Senate District 27	Henry Stern	Assembly District 49	Edwin Chau
Senate District 29	Josh Newman	Assembly District 50	Richard Bloom
Senate District 31	Richard Roth	Assembly District 51	Wendy Carillo
Senate District 33	Lena Gonzalez	Assembly District 52	Freddie Rodriguez
Senate District 35	Steven Bradford	Assembly District 53	Miguel Santiago
Senate District 37	Dave Min	Assembly District 54	Sydney Kamlager
Senate District 39	Toni Atkins	Assembly District 55	Andrew Rodriguez
Assembly District 02	Jim Wood	Assembly District 56	Eduardo Garcia
Assembly District 04	Cecilia Aguiar-Curry	Assembly District 57	Lisa Calderon
Assembly District 07	Kevin McCarty	Assembly District 58	Cristina Garcia
Assembly District 08	Ken Cooley	Assembly District 59	Reginald Jones-Sawyer
Assembly District 10	Marc Levine	Assembly District 60	Sabrina Cervantes
Assembly District 12	Paul Akinjo	Assembly District 61	Jose Medina
Assembly District 13	Katherine Miller	Assembly District 62	Autumn Burke
Assembly District 14	Tim Grayson	Assembly District 63	Anthony Rendon
Assembly District 15	Buffy Wicks	Assembly District 64	Mike Gipson
Assembly District 16	Rebecca Bauer-Kahan	Assembly District 65	Sharon Quirk-Silva
Assembly District 17	David Chiu	Assembly District 66	Al Muratsuchi
Assembly District 18	Rob Bonta	Assembly District 68	Melissa Fox
Assembly District 19	Phil Ting	Assembly District 69	Tom Daly
Assembly District 20	Bill Quirk	Assembly District 70	Patrick O’Donnell
Assembly District 21	Adam Gray	Assembly District 72	Diedre Nguyen
Assembly District 22	Kevin Mullin	Assembly District 73	Scott Rhinehart
Assembly District 24	Marc Berman	Assembly District 74	Cottie Petrie-Norris
Assembly District 25	Alex Lee	Assembly District 75	Kate Schwartz
Assembly District 27	Ash Kalra	Assembly District 76	Tasha Boerner Horvath
Assembly District 28	Evan Low	Assembly District 77	Brian Maienschein
Assembly District 29	Mark Stone	Assembly District 78	Christopher Ward
Assembly District 30	Robert Rivas	Assembly District 79	Shirley Weber
Assembly District 31	Joaquin Arambula	Assembly District 80	Lorena Gonzalez
Assembly District 32	Rudy Salas

W. Sac. Mayor	Martha Guerrero, LCSW	Stockton City Council	Kimberly Warmsley, LCSW
Delano City Council	Veronica Vasquez, MSW	Washington Unified School Bd	Jackie Wong, MSW
Goleta Union School Brd	Patricia Rorty, LCSW

State Initiative Position Chart
Proposition 14 – Stem Cell Research Bond	Support
Proposition 15 – Split Roll Property Tax	Support
Proposition 16 – Restores Affirmative Action	Support
Proposition 17 – Voting Rights Parolees	Support
Proposition 18 – Voting Rights 17-year-olds	Support
Proposition 19 – Tax Assessments Transfers	Support
Proposition 20 – Reverses Criminal Justice Reforms	Oppose
Proposition 21 – Rent Control	Support
Proposition 22 – App Based Drivers	No Position
Proposition 23 – Dialysis Clinics	Support
Proposition 24 – Consumer Privacy	Oppose
Proposition 25 – Bail Reform	Support

Prop 14 – SUPPORT: Stem Cell Research Bonds

Authorizes $5.5 Billion in general obligation bonds for the stem cell research institute and makes change to its governance and structure. We believe this research is needed in order to find cures for vulnerable people with Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, strokes, epilepsy and other brain and central nerve system conditions.

Prop 15 – SUPPORT: Split Roll Property Tax

Amends Proposition 13 of 1978 by increasing property taxes on commercial and industrial properties at market value rather than the purchase price. This measure only applies to properties worth more than $3 million and commercial agriculture is exempt from this increase. This proposition will increase revenues to schools, community colleges, and local governments and forces large corporations to pay their fair share of property taxes and retains lower property taxes on homeowners.

Prop 16 – SUPPORT: Restores Affirmative Action

  Allows schools and public agencies to take race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin into consideration when making admission, hiring, or contracting decisions. We believe this proposition will increase opportunities for women and people of color. We believe in the value of diversity and this measure will allow these factors to be taken into consideration in our colleges, universities, and public agencies.

Prop 17 – SUPPORT: Voting Rights Parolees

Restores voting rights for people after completion of their prison term. Social workers believe in redemption and this population has been released from prison and paid their debt to society. They are taxpayers and members of our community so they should be allowed to vote. This disenfranchisement has unequally impacted communities of color who are disproportionately represented in our criminal justice system.

Prop 18 – SUPPORT: Voting Rights 17-Year-Olds

Would allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primary and special elections. This will allow for a more informed vote as the voter will follow the candidates through the entire process.This will boost youth participation in elections and the youth vote should be heard.

  Prop 19 – SUPPORT: Tax Assessment Transfers

Allows eligible homeowners aged 55+, severely disabled or whose homes were destroyed by wildfires or natural disasters to transfer their property tax assessments to a more expensive home. Tightens up inheritance rules. Requires 75% of any revenue or savings to be dedicated to a Fire Response Fund, and the remaining 15% to the County Revenue Protection Fund. This measure protects vulnerable communities by keeping their property taxes low when they move and creates a potential new revenue source by tightening up rules for inherited property when the heir does not use the property as their primary residence. Monies raised will help with local government and fire response.

Prop 20 – OPPOSE: Reverses Criminal Justice Reforms

Amends and reverses reforms contained in AB 109 (2011), Prop 47 (2014), and Prop 57 (2016), which reduced our prison population. This measure would expand the list of crimes classified as violent crimes in order to exclude those crimes from early parole. Make specific types of theft and fraud crimes regardless of value (including firearm theft, vehicle theft, and unlawful use of credit card) chargeable as misdemeanors or felonies, rather than misdemeanors. Require persons convicted of certain misdemeanors to submit DNA samples for state and federal databases. This measure will have a disproportionate impact on Black, Latinx, and low-income people who are over-represented in our criminal justice system due to systematic racism. Would redirect tens of millions of dollars into the pockets of law enforcement, and force draconian cuts to rehabilitation and mental health programs.

Prop 21 – SUPPORT: Rent Control

Allows local governments to establish rent control on residential properties over 15 years old. Allows local limits to differ from statewide limit by allowing rent control to apply to more properties. Allows rent increases of up to 15 percent over three years upon the start of a new tenancy, rather than allowing rent to go up to the market value. Preserves affordable housing to keep CA families in their homes. More equitable since high rents disproportionately and adversely affect low-income households, people of color, seniors, and families with children. Rent control would help cities struggling with gentrification, displacement, and homelessness due to high rents. 

Prop 22 – NO POSITION: App Based Drivers

Would allow app-based drivers, such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash, to continue to work as independent contractors and not employees or agents. These drivers would be exempt from state employment-related labor laws and would instead enact labor and wage policies specific to app-based drivers and companies. We chose not to make a recommendation on this measure for several reasons. 1) Drivers are split – Some drivers want to continue to work as independent contractors so they have the flexibility to set their own hours. Many drivers use these jobs to supplement their income and to help make ends meet. Other drivers would prefer to be full time employees with all the benefits and perks of full-time employment. 2) We do not want to dictate to another profession on how they should be classified. 3) This bill is a result of a court case that was codified into law by AB 5 (Chapter 296 of 2019). AB 5 attempted to interpret the court case and many professions were barred from being classified as independent contractors, including LCSWs, who in many cases, wished to retain their status as independent contractors. This potential conflict with our own profession solidified our desire to not be recommend a position on this proposition.

Prop 23 – SUPPORT: Dialysis Clinics

Would require dialysis clinics to have at least one licensed physician present while patients are being treated, except when there is a shortage of physicians and the clinic has at least one nurse practitioner or physician assistant on site. Requires clinics to report data on dialysis-related infections to the state health department and the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).  Provide written notice to the state health department and obtain consent from the department before closing a clinic. Adds safety protections for vulnerable dialysis patients and holds dialysis corporations accountable, especially the two corporations that monopolize the industry, Fresenius and DaVita.

Prop 24 – OPPOSE: Consumer Privacy

Amends provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 by requiring businesses to: 1) Provide options for consumers, such as opting out of sharing their personal information, 2) Obtain permission before collecting data from consumers under 16 years old: and 3)  Correct a consumer’s inaccurate personal information. We oppose this misleading proposition because it would allow businesses to create ‘pay for privacy’ schemes and downgrade services for those who cannot or will not pay the extra fee and undermine existing California privacy regulations that already have opt out options for consumers. It also makes it harder to prevent top tech giants, such as Facebook, from selling your personal information.

Prop 25 – SUPPORT: Bail Reform

Upholds contested legislation, SB 10 (Chapter 244 of 2018), which replaces the money bail system with a system based on an evidence based determination of public safety and flight risk. SB 10 was a lobby day bill in 2018. We believe bail reform creates a more just and fair criminal justice system, and treat people equally regardless of wealth or poverty. People should not be incarcerated just because they cannot afford bail.

For more information, email rgonzales.naswca@socialworkers.org

To view the California Secretary of State’s Voter Handbook on the Initiatives, visit www.sos.ca.gov