California government unions have long funded political campaigns, leading to politicians rubber-stamping union demands, with catastrophic results in areas such as education, fire safety, health care, infrastructure, housing, cost of living, taxes, and crime. Now, state lawmakers are set to give even more power to government-union leaders. Senate Constitutional Amendment 7, proposed by State Senator Tom Umberg, would create a constitutional right to “economic well-being” for government workers and would bar California state and local officials from taking any action “that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively.” Public employee lawyers could argue that a decision to close a school, end a failed program for the homeless, or build a road with nonunion labor would interfere with their union’s constitutional protections. Critics argue that “SCA 7 will have a major negative impact on the state’s housing, environmental, and economic goals,” and “will give public-sector unions the most exhaustive power of any branch of government.” Despite the criticism, the bill has acquired more than 30 co-sponsors in a matter of hours, and its supporters say they have the votes they need to take their first steps in the legislature. If the bill passes, critics predict that California’s economy will be based on just two functions: “In a good economy, government will hire more employees. In a bad economy, with tax revenue falling, government will simply have to raise taxes on the populace” because unions will argue in court that laying off employees would run afoul of the new rights created by SCA 7.
