Newsom potpisuje zakone za zaštitu kalifornijskih izbora od Trumpovog uplitanja, povećanje transparentnosti

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 13 bills on Saturday aimed at safeguarding the state’s election process against potential interference in the upcoming midterm elections. The legislation includes measures to prevent the seizure of ballots or election records before results are certified and imposes felony penalties on authority figures who direct employees to interfere with mail-in ballots. Newsom stated that Donald Trump would not stop attempting to exert control over the voting process and that California would resist such efforts. Newsom signed the bills in Los Angeles, emphasizing that the future of democracy is at stake. He said California would build upon the protections already established to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. One of the bills requires election officials to notify the state’s secretary of state and attorney general if there are attempts to access election records or technology. This follows a previous law signed by Newsom in May that prohibited federal agents from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order. State Attorney General Rob Bonta praised the new legislation, noting the recent Supreme Court decision that blocked the Trump administration from implementing changes to mail-in voting. Bonta emphasized that California would remain vigilant in protecting the right to vote. Democrats have raised concerns about potential interference from the Trump administration, particularly as the Republican Party seeks to maintain its majority in Congress. Newsom highlighted past incidents, including the presence of federal agents at a political rally in Little Tokyo last year and the seizure of ballots by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Bianco faced legal challenges after ordering deputies to take over 650,000 ballots from the county elections office. Newsom signed a bill making it a felony to seize or order the seizure of ballots, with potential prison terms of up to four years. In addition to election-related measures, Newsom also signed a bill establishing California’s first standalone post-production tax credit. The initiative aims to bring back jobs for editors, sound mixers, composers, and visual effects artists. The credit offers a 35% to 50% reduction on qualified post-production expenses, though funding is initially limited to $10 million annually. Industry representatives welcomed the move but acknowledged the need for additional support to compete with other states offering similar incentives. Newsom also signed Senate Bill 186, which strengthens the current tax incentive program by shortening the payout schedule for cash refunds and increasing the total refundable amount of unused tax credits. The bill also removes caps on tax credits for independent productions, drawing criticism from some quarters regarding its impact on the effectiveness of the state’s film incentive program. As the midterms approach, California continues to implement measures to ensure the integrity of its electoral system while simultaneously working to bolster its film and television industry through targeted financial incentives.