Two ballot measures approved last week by Huntington Beach voters — restricting which flags the city can fly and potentially requiring a photo ID to vote — are abhorrent, but not because of what they will accomplish. One of them has very little effect and is written neutrally. The other is unlikely to survive a challenge from the state.
It's the message of hate and bigotry sent by his passing that should worry residents of Huntington Beach, whose city has earned a reputation for ugly, MAGA-style conservatism.
The city had already stopped flying the rainbow flag during LGBTQ Pride Month, but Measure B now prohibits the city government from flying it and others that are not on a very short list unless there is unanimous agreement from the City Council. Flags are limited to government and military organizations plus one for prisoners of war. The Olympic flag is also permitted for limited periods.
In a way, the measure is fair. It may not allow flags to honor the LGBTQ community, but it also won't allow flags of racists or homophobes. Still, the intent of the new law is clear: to tell gay and transgender people that they are not welcome.
Of course, no measure can prevent gay rights advocates from carrying flags on city property or holding them up at gatherings. Residents could reclaim the city's laissez-faire reputation by showing up at City Hall with rainbow flags and transforming council meetings into a dazzling array of colors.
Both measures were voted on by the City Council's conservative majority, but Measure A has the potential to harm voters' rights as well as the city's budget by allowing the council to impose a voter ID rule for elections. municipal. (The measure itself does not mandate voter ID.) Requiring photo ID, as Measure A would do, is a known tactic to disenfranchise low-income citizens, as well as the homeless and seniors, who are more likely to have lost or left Your rights. Driver's licenses expire.
When voter ID supporters talk about a free country, they should remember that includes the right of people to conduct their lives without having to show proof of citizenship to the government. Photographs are required to obtain a driver's license because driving is a privilege. Voting is a right.
If implemented, Measure A would also cost money in a city facing a deficit in the next fiscal year. Municipal elections would have to be held separately from state and county elections, which is estimated to cost the city up to $1.6 million per election, not counting ballot security and tracking.
Beyond that are the costs the city would incur if challenged in court. The state requires voter ID only in certain limited circumstances, and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber have said it would violate the law if Huntington Beach required identification to vote in municipal elections. State Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine), a congressional candidate in a district that includes Huntington Beach, has introduced legislation that would specifically ban the practice in municipal elections.
What does Huntington Beach gain with this price? It is not a thing. The city has not documented a single case of voter fraud.
Huntington Beach has a long history as a conservative city. But he had elected a more liberal majority on the council, which ended in 2022 with a sweep of conservative candidates. This was no doubt caused in part by the pandemic, when Huntington Beach became ground zero in Southern California for the right-wing protest movement against COVID-19 restrictions, including demonstrations at the city's iconic pier. defying a state curfew. Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election also sparked a less Reagan-esque, more MAGA-driven movement to the right, which manifested itself in intentionally provocative policies, such as a nonsensical resolution in the fall of last year banning mask and vaccine mandates.
Still, when the council imposed stupid restrictions on purchasing new books in October, disrespecting the city's professional librarians and putting decisions in the hands of a panel of people who might not have experience and probably wouldn't even read the books books in their entirety, enough Huntington. Beach residents were angered by making it appear that the population might be dismayed by the direction taken by the new council.
It's hard to know if they were. According to recent figures, less than 40% of the city's registered voters voted in this election. Maybe those who didn't show would have voted the same way, or maybe they didn't realize they were missing out on a chance to restore their city's reputation. Or that your council is more involved in adopting extremist positions than in prudently managing an effective municipal government.
