Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1525262
O U R U N I O N ' S E L E C T I O N recom- mendations are rooted in the voices and experiences of educators and are a shining example of democracy at work. Nearly 800 democratically elected delegates to State Council of Educa- tion, CTA's top policy-making body, meet four times a year in Los Angeles. This is where candidate recommen- dations made by local union members and approved by the CTA Board of Directors are brought to the floor for discussion and approval. Interviews and recommendations for pro-public education candidates and positions on California initiatives are extensive, deliberate and important work in our union. CTA's recommenda- tion process involves interview teams of local educators from throughout the state, who interview candidates and evaluate them on a variety of criteria, including: their positions and vision for K–12 and community college issues; their historical support for public edu- cation, students and educators; and their viability for success in the office that they are seeking. Teams then make their recommen- dations to the CTA Board for discussion before being brought to CTA State Council, which debates and votes to make the final recommendations. T H E C A L I F O R N I A S U P R E M E C O U R T delivered a victory in June for stu- dents and families when it removed a voter initiative from the November ballot that would have been devastating for schools and public services. The Taxpayer Deception Act would have violated our constitution, pro- tected current tax breaks for the wealthy, decimated voter-approved funding in our communities, and put up obstacles for future funding measures. It also would have been retroactive, pulling funds from more than 100 voter-ap- proved local school funding bonds. It was devised by the California Business Roundtable, an organization comprised of wealthy CEOs of the largest businesses and employers in the state, to obstruct funding initiatives for schools and public services and keep the wealthy from paying their fair share. " The Supreme Court's decision to take this dangerous initiative off the ballot avoids a host of catastrophic impacts, protecting billions of dollars for schools, access to reproductive health care, gun safety laws that keep students safe in classrooms and paid family leave," said Jonathan Underland, spokesperson for the No on Taxpayer Deception Act campaign. The measure would have required the Legislature to seek approval from the voters for any new or higher state tax; increased the margin to pass a voter-initiated special tax at the local level to two-thirds from a simple major- ity; restricted how officials can calculate the cost of fees that fund public services and programs; and reclassified some of those charges as taxes, according to CalMatters. Our union, along with other labor unions and community allies, had been planning a massive Vote No campaign against this initiative if it remained on the ballot this fall. "Let's use this decision as fuel for our drive to build a statewide union with the capacity to win campaigns at both the local and statewide level," CTA President David Goldberg says. " The people behind the Taxpayer Deception Act have already said they will continue their efforts to defund and dismantle our public institutions, so we must continue building strong chapters for the struggles ahead." State Supreme Court Pulls Taxpayer Deception Act from Ballot CTA's Election Recommendations: Democracy at Work 28 cta.org