Hide Transcript Show Transcript

RUN AS DELEGATES IN THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARTY. INSIDE THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THERE ARE CHANGES IN THE WORKS. >> YOU CAN’T HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS A DREAM OR IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. MIKE: THE ASSEMBLYMAN WANTS TO ALLOW NONCITIZENS TO BECOME POLITICAL ACTIVISTS WHO HELP SHAPE POLICY FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CALIFORNIA. >> WE ARE AN INCLUSIVE PARTY THAT EMBRACES IMMIGRANTS. MIKE: HE IS THE PRINCIPAL OFFER -- AUTHOR. IN SAN FRANCISCO, NONCITIZENS ARE ALREADY VOTING IN ONE LOCAL ELECTION. >> IN SAN FRANCISCO, WE HAVE AUTHORIZED NONCITIZEN TO HAVE CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO VOTE IN SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS. MIKE: NO ONE HAS MADE A SUCCESSFUL LEGAL CHALLENGE TO WHAT SAN FRANCISCO IS DOING, BUT THERE ARE CRITICS WHO WORRY ABOUT WHERE IT COULD LEAD. HE IS THE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN CHEER AND WANTS A VOTING SYSTEM TO BE RESERVED FOR AMERICANS ONLY. >> WE JUST CAME OUT OF A PROCESS DEALING WITH ELECTION INVESTIGATIONS. LEARNING ABOUT FOREIGN GOVERNMENT INFLUEN

Advertisement California bill may allow noncitizens to become Democratic Party delegates Critics call SB 288 'slippery slope' Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Controversy is brewing at the State Capitol over a plan that would allow noncitizens to participate in party politics.“You can have somebody who is a Dreamer participate in the Democratic political party,” Assembly member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, said. "The end goal is to allow people in our community, people who are working here, living here, to really become full participants in our process."Ting is a co-author of Senate Bill 288, which would allow noncitizens to become committee delegates, political activists who help shape policy for the Democratic Party of California.“We are an inclusive party that embraces immigrants,” Sen. Scott Wiener said.Wiener is the principal author of SB 288, and in his home city of San Francisco, noncitizens are already voting in one local election.“In San Francisco, we have authorized noncitizens who have children in public schools to vote in school board elections,” Wiener said. “So, we are not restricted by the constitution."So far, no one has made a successful legal challenge to what San Francisco is doing, but there are critics who worry about where it could lead.“I think it could be a slippery slope,” said Dwight Williams, the Republican chair for San Joaquin County.Williams said he wants the American voting system to be preserved for Americans only.“We just came out of a whole process of dealing with election investigations and worrying about foreign government influences impacting our elections,” Williams said. “I think we ought to keep the laws kind of consistent."For the Democrats in California, the bill is about making the party as inclusive as possible.Republicans have overarching concerns the bill could be a foot in the door toward universal voting for California residents, regardless of their immigration status.Why do Democrats need the law changed to govern their own party?Wiener said people running for a county central committee position have their names on a ballot, regardless of party, because it’s an election. “The state election code creates that structure,” Wiener said. “And the Democratic Party does not have the ability to allow noncitizens to run absent a change to the elections code, and that’s what we’re doing.”Senate Bill 288 has its first test next week with a vote before the Assembly Elections Committee.