DGA Comes Out In Opposition To California's Prop 226

by Mark Rabinowitz

The Directors Guild of America has announced its opposition to
California's Proposition 226, the Campaign Reform Initiative, which
would prohibit guilds and labor organizations from using any portion of
a member's dues for political purposes without annual, written
permission from the member. In a prepared statement, DGA President Jack
Shea said, "Proposition 226 is nothing more than a cynical attempt to
silence the voices of a large segment of California's population,"
adding that "We already require the democratic election of our officials
and a membership vote on our constitution and bylaws, all of which serve
to ensure that our members' dues are spent in ways the members want."

If proposition 226 passes, it would, according to DGA Executive Director
Jay D. Roth "create an enormous and debilitating amount of bureaucratic
red tape for guilds to sort through, thereby hindering their ability to
protect the rights of their members."