Proponents of Proposition B, the ballot measure that would strip collective bargaining power from San Antonio’s police union, have lined up an endorsement from top Texas progressive power player Beto O’Rourke.
Fix SAPD, the group that petitioned to put Prop B on the May 1 ballot, shared the endorsement Tuesday via Twitter.
Backers of the measure say collective bargaining protects a slanted arbitration process that’s repeatedly allowed cops fired for misconduct to reclaim their jobs. Reform proponents want to see collective bargaining replaced with the meet-and-confer process other large Texas cities use with their police unions.
“I stand with the people of San Antonio who want to make sure that we support good police officers and protect the public by holding bad officers accountable,” the statement from O’Rourke said. “We shouldn’t have to bargain for police accountability, it should be guaranteed.”
O’Rourke’s backing is the second endorsement Fix SAPD has landed from a nationally recognized political figure. Former San Antonio mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro endorsed Prop B last week.
The San Antonio Police Officers Association, currently in talks with the city on a new contract, has tried to equate Prop B with “defunding the police.” However, Fix SAPD has repeatedly pointed out that its proposal has no direct effect on SAPD’s budget.
In a Monday tweet, Gov. Greg Abbott also tried to link the ballot measure with the “defund the police” slogan. Abbott, a Republican, urged Alamo City residents to vote against Prop B, adding “don’t defund your police. … We need to keep San Antonio safe.”
Twitter users pushed back against Abbott’s claim, accusing him of either being misinformed about Prob B or blatantly lying about what it actually would do.
Early voting in the May 1 election began Monday.
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This article appears in Apr 21 – May 4, 2021.