How SF Democratic Party has become the right wing of the state party - 48 hills

Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, attempted to remove a resolution from the state party executive committee consent calendar but received nine votes out of nearly 300 and the resolution passed. Michelle Krug of San Diego Democrats for Equality sponsored the resolution, which said automated license plate readers collect substantial data, raise privacy and civil-rights concerns, and could make data accessible to federal immigration agencies, endangering immigrant and marginalized communities. The resolution states opposition to sharing automated license plate reader data with ICE and other federal agencies. Party resolutions do not create law but signal party positions and are vetted in committee.

The chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party tried to sideline a resolution this weekend putting the state party on record urging California officials not to share license plate data with ICE. Chair Nancy Tung was the only person at the state party's executive committee meeting who asked that the resolution be taken off the consent calendar-a very unusual move. In the end, she only got nine votes out of almost 300 members in attendance, and the resolution passed.

The resolution was sponsored by Michelle Krug, who is the vice president of political action of San Diego Democrats for Equality. It wasn't that controversial: It stated that automated license plate readers can collect a lot of data, and "present significant privacy and civil rights concerns, with data potentially accessible to federal immigration agencies, putting immigrant and marginalized communities at risk" and said that "The California Democratic Party opposes sharing automated license plate reader data with ICE and other federal agencies."

These party resolutions, which don't create enforceable legislation but do make clear where the party stands on key issues (and where the grassroots leaders think elected officials should stand) typically go through committees on the first day of the three-day meetings, and the ones that survive (many don't) get to the full Eboard the final day. They've already been vetted by party leaders, and anything that is out of the mainstream of party politics typically dies in committee.

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