California public unions dump $1.2 million into Tony Thurmond’s campaign in May.
California teachers and school employees unions have pumped $1.2 million into State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond’s re-election campaign since the beginning of May. Thanks to CPC’s automated research bot, the massive political donations were immediately shared on Twitter by our @CalUnionWatch account, including:
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$500,000 donated by the California Teachers Association
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$200,000 donated by the California Federation of Teachers
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$500,000 donated by the California School Employees Association
The organizations endorsing Thurmond are almost exclusively government unions, but it’s not just public education unions. As CPC founder Ed Ring writes in his latest analysis, Thurmond’s 2022 re-election bid has attracted $894,000 in donations of $5,000 or more. These donations came in the form of 114 transactions, with 70 of them coming from government unions. In total, $576,000 of Thurmond’s $894,000 in big money contributions so far are from public sector unions.
“What’s interesting, and ominous,” writes Ring, “is the diversity of Thurmond’s government union contributors.” There’s just as much early and big union money coming from the Service Employees International, the State Pipe Trades Council, the Sheet Metal Workers, the Painters and Allied Trades, the Steamfitters, the California Nurses Association and the California Professional Firefighters, and others not directly involved in public education.
Why are nurses and firefighters interested in who runs California’s public schools?
This display of solidarity is for one primary reason: political power. When it comes to keeping compliant political operatives in critical elected positions, California’s public sector unions line up in unity.
Read Edward Ring’s article, “Tony Thurmond - Public Sector Union Operative."
Senate Passes Bill to Allow 12 Year Olds to Get Vaccinated Without Parental Consent
The California Senate passed Senate Bill 866 in an early morning session Thursday. The bill would allow children as young as 12 to be vaccinated with any FDA-approved vaccine without their parents’ consent or notification. The bill passed 21-7, with many of the state’s 40 senators absent or abstaining, garnering the 21 votes needed to pass a bill by a simple majority.
In a powerful floor speech opposing the bill, Senator Rosilicie Ochoa-Bogh (R–Yucaipa) had this to say:
“A no vote on this bill today means that you believe that the parent or the caregiver fundamentally has the ability to seek the resources and make decisions that are best for their child or their family. …When we pass legislation where we take away the parents’ ability to participate in their child’s upbringing [and] well being, what values are you promoting and conveying? That’s what a no vote or yes vote will mean on this.”
Now, the bill goes to the state Assembly, where it will be heard in key committees before a floor vote. We have updated CPC’s Take Action tool to contact legislators in the Assembly. SB 866 is such an extreme violation of parental authority that we encourage you to call your legislator directly via their office phone number listed on our Take Action page.
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