SACRAMENTO — Assemblyman Juan Alanis (R-Modesto) issued the following statement after the Democratic majority passed AB 182 today:
“Today the supermajority exposed their blatant hypocrisy and double standards on elections. While they preach about protecting democracy and ‘fair elections,’ they suspended legislative rules and fast-tracked AB 182 — an urgency measure that lets them dictate the exact placement and numbering of key propositions on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
This bill is not neutral. It allows the majority to strategically order measures they like over measures they do not to maximize political advantage. AB 182 is everything wrong with politics today. Whether it’s Republicans or Democrats pushing proposals like this across the country, it’s just plain wrong and must be called out.
Californians are exhausted by a one-party Legislature that bends or suspends the rules whenever it serves their interests. These procedural power grabs erode public trust, fuel widespread anger, and deepen cynicism toward Sacramento. It makes it difficult to work in a bipartisan fashion when there appears to be no reasonable middle ground among individuals on the other side of the aisle who can stand on the basic principle of electoral fairness.
If the majority truly supported fair and transparent elections, they would not need urgency clauses and rule suspensions to control ballot order. Voters deserve a process free from partisan manipulation — one where the people, not politicians, decide outcomes without stacked decks.
The double standards are unmistakable. The same party that lectures others about election interference is rigging the ballot structure to suit its agenda. Californians are watching, and their patience with these games is wearing thin.”
Assemblymember Juan Alanis represents the 22nd Assembly District, which includes the communities of Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Keyes, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande, Stevinson, & Empire.
