SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new Capitol Weekly poll shows support for Proposition 60 dropping to just 40 percent, which is down 13 points from an L.A. Times poll in early September that showed support for the measure at 53 percent.
Prop 60, which would allow any resident of the state to sue if they saw a film without a visible condom, has been called the most controversial measure on the 2016 ballot.
“The more voters learn about this dangerous measure, the more they dislike it,” said Eric Paul Leue, campaign manager for No on Proposition 60, Californians Against Worker Harassment. “Rather than protect performers, Prop 60 exposes them to harassment suits, privacy violations and financial exploitation. Prop 60 has been opposed by nearly every political organization in the state, and by all seven of the state’s largest papers — and, most importantly, the performers themselves.”
Proposition 60 has been opposed by the California Democratic Party, the California Republican Party, the California Libertarian Party and over 50 county and municipal political parties. It has been opposed by the L.A. Times, the Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, the San Diego Union Tribune, the Orange Country Register and over a dozen other major editorial boards.
Proposition 60 has faced consistent and vocal opposition from the adult performer community. APAC, the leading performer group, opposed the measure soon after it was announced, saying it would make working conditions more dangerous for performers.
Performers organized a large protest in Hollywood earlier this week, demanding the sole proponent and funder of the initiative, Michael Weinstein, meet with them to discuss their concerns. Weinstein has spent nearly $5 million dollars on the campaign, which would give him the power to sue performers directly when a condom isn’t visible. He has repeatedly refused to meet with performers.
Since then, performers have taken to print, radio and television to raise awareness of an initiative which would allow everyday viewers to sue them directly based solely on the type of movies they make. The full poll data is expected to be released on Monday.