SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The passage of California's massive $262 billion budget proposal Monday night includes a bill that Democrats hope will help Governor Gavin Newsom fight the recall election.
This legislation would effectively move up the date for the recall, possibly as early as September: a move that many Democrats believe could benefit Newsom as he fights for his political future.
Supporters of the recall movement, however, are crying foul.
"It is an outrage. How did we get here?" questioned Randy Economy, who served until recently as senior advisor and spokesman for the Newsom Recall movement in California.
"We can't have politicians continuing to change the rules of the game in the middle of the third quarter," Economy told News 8. "And what's happening in Sacramento right now is an injustice."
This bill, now heading to Governor Newsom to sign into law, will bypass a required review period of the cost of the election, allowing the recall to take place at least 30 days earlier than under existing state law.
It was Democrats who had passed that original law four years earlier when a Democratic state senator was facing another recall.
"There is nothing more common in politics than writing the rules to win the game," said Professor Thad Kousser, chair of the Political Science Department at UC San Diego.
"Remember, there are a lot of parts of the recall that disadvantage Gavin Newsom, But this is a part that could advantage him - letting him and his political allies pick the most politically advantageous timing," Kousser said.
With low COVID numbers, the state's reopening, and wildfire season not yet in full swing, political observers said Newsom's popularity is currently up.
"So let's move into it now, rather than wait for something potentially to take the state in a different direction," Kousser said.
This bill also allocates $215 million to counties to pay for the local costs of running a recall election, as well as $35 million to the Secretary of State's office for voter outreach.
Republicans Monday raised concerns over how the office will spend those funds.
"What kind of assurances can we give the public that is it not going to be a political campaign that has political campaign ties?" asked Republican state Senator Shannon Grove.
Here in San Diego County, the estimated cost for the recall election is $20 million.
While it will officially be up to the Lieutenant Governor, who is a Newsom supporter, to set an election date, county clerks statewide have said they need at least until September 14th, at the earliest, to be ready.
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