Some parents in California are fighting against Democratic lawmakers and the Newsom Administration in court over a proposed ballot measure that would require schools to notify parents if a child is changing their gender. The initiative also aims to protect female sports from transgender athletes and mandate that students use school facilities consistent with their birth gender. Despite polls showing majority support for the measures among Californian voters, the state legislature, controlled by Democrats, refused to hear the bill, and the Democrat State Attorney General Rob Bonta changed the initiative’s title to a negative and misleading one, making it difficult to gather signatures and raise money.
Supporters of the initiative argue that Bonta’s bias is evident in the changes he made to the initiative’s title and summary. They claim that he unfairly rebranded the initiative in a way that makes it likely to fail, instead of giving it a fair shot at the ballot. According to state statute, the Attorney General is required to provide a true and impartial statement of the purpose of the measure without creating prejudice for or against the proposed measure. A judge tentatively denied the parents’ lawsuit, stating that the Attorney General has considerable latitude in preparing a title and summary, and a judge can only step in if there is clear and convincing proof that the title and summary is false, misleading, or inconsistent with the election code.
The parent activist group supporting the initiative cited research showing that most voters only read an initiative’s title and summary and changing positive words to negative ones typically leads to the failure of measures at the ballot box. They claim that Bonta is attempting to bypass California’s ability to evaluate the issue neutrally by writing a biased summary that people will be unlikely to support. The group also believes that Bonta should be “conflicted out” of this issue because he is currently suing to stop the Chino Valley School District from adopting a similar policy. Despite these challenges, Bonta’s office stands by their title and summary for the measure under California law.
The issue of the proposed ballot measure is being debated in court, with the parents’ group indicating that they are likely to appeal the judge’s ruling. They hope to get the initiative on the 2026 ballot to allow Californian voters the opportunity to decide on the measures. The fight between parents and Democratic lawmakers, as well as the Newsom Administration, highlights the complexities of social and political issues surrounding gender identity and transgender rights. It also underscores the importance of a fair democratic process in allowing citizens to have a say in policy decisions that impact their lives and communities.
