Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, September 9, 2024…
- Should people who aren’t U.S. citizens be allowed to vote in some elections? Well, that very question is going to be on the November ballot in the Orange County City of Santa Ana in the form of local measure DD.
- The hot weather across California this past weekend once again provided a huge challenge for fire crews. In the San Bernardino Mountains, 60 miles east of Los Angeles, the Line Fire exploded in size. It’s burned more than 20,000 acres.
- Governor Newsom has vetoed a high profile bill that would have allowed some undocumented residents to qualify for state-backed home loans of up to $150,000 dollars. The loans are offered under the state’s popular Dream for All program.
Ballot Measure In Santa Ana Would allow Non-Citizens To Vote In Local Elections
When voters go to the polls in November in the Orange County city of Santa Ana, they’ll be deciding on a topic that has gained national attention – should non-citizens be allowed to vote in some elections?
If passed, Measure DD would amend Santa Ana’s municipal charter and allow non-citizen residents of the city, both documented and undocumented, to vote in all local elections. That includes mayoral and city council races, proposed sales tax increases on the ballot and municipal bond measures.
Local immigrant rights advocates like Carlos Perea argue that keeping non-citizens from voting takes tax-paying residents out of the political process. “We knew the residents were demanding political representation because we realized that, if we wanted to truly change how City Hall runs, we needed to change who’s allowed to vote,” he said. “This is an issue that will change the game in the city.”
But opponents have argued that implementing the measure would cost the cash-strapped city upwards of $10 million. They also say that voting, at all levels of government, should remain a right of citizenship and if non-citizens want a bigger voice in civic affairs, they should work to become naturalized.
Line Fire Burns Thousands Of Acres, Triggers Evacuations
The Line Fire has burned more than 20,000 acres near the San Bernardino National Forest in East Highland. Evacuation orders have been issued for several areas of East Highland and mountain communities in San Bernardino County.