Trouble for ballot measure petition? + A bipartisan appeal for more firefighters

Andrew Sheeler
·3 min read
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Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

CJAC CEASES CIRCULATING BALLOT MEASURE PETITION

A proposed ballot measure that would cap attorney contingency fees in civil cases at 20% may be in trouble.

The group behind the initiative — which was being circulated for petition signatures — is the Civil Justice Association of California, an advocacy organization with funding from General Motors, Volkswagen Group of America and Ford Motor Company, among other corporations.

According to internal industry documents obtained by The Bee, it appears that CJAC is no longer paying for petitioners to collect signatures.

Reached for comment, CJAC President and CEO Kyla Christoffersen Powell said in a statement that, “We intend to pursue our measure and are evaluating our options in light of COVID and other factors.”

This latest development comes as the Consumer Attorneys of California wages a counter-offensive dubbed “Unmasking CJAC,” a campaign that highlights CJAC’s funding from major corporate donors, including tobacco giant Altria, Chevron, AT&T, Monsanto and others.

In a statement, Consumer Attorneys of California President Craig Peters, said, “By unmasking the auto manufacturers, Big Tobacco companies, major polluters, and consumer fraudsters behind the so-called Civil Justice Association of California, we’ve sent a strong message: we will aggressively fight back on behalf of consumers any time multi-billion dollar corporations attack Californians’ access to justice, whether they come at them through the ballot box, the legislative process, or nefarious, dark money organizations like CJAC.”

A BIPARTISAN APPROACH TO CAL FIRE’S STAFFING SHORTAGE

As Cal Fire struggles to fill empty positions, a Republican and a Democrat have come together in Sacramento with a proposal to dramatically increase funding to address the staffing shortage.

Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, has teamed up with Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, to introduce the Fight for Firefighters budget proposal, which would increase staffing by hiring an additional 1,124 firefighters, including 356 full-time firefighters, and 16 additional seasonal hand crews, according to a statement from Grove’s office.

“We are in a pivotal time when it comes to preparing for wildfire season and that includes addressing the CAL FIRE staffing shortage,” Grove said in a statement. “This legislation will serve as a critical down payment to support our firefighters while they protect life, property, and natural resources for all Californians.”

McGuire, who recently was named as the new Senate Majority Leader, and other Senate Democrats discussed the budget proposal in a press conference livestreamed on Facebook on Friday morning.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Californians have long known what the rest of America has spent the last year discovering: Vice President Harris is a failed, out-of-touch politician whose policies are hammering people from coast to coast. On her watch, in lockstep with President Biden, inflation is soaring, crime is surging, and Covid is spreading. Fortunately, polls confirm that voters are poised to demand change this November. Media tours and carefully-curated photo ops won’t stop the red wave that is building. California Republicans are already running full throttle to take back the House and put the needs of people ahead of a radical partisan agenda.”

- California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson, in a statement on Harris’ California visit

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