In a release today (Oct. 17), Assemblyman O'Donnell said:

Assemblyman O'Donnell: The Long Beach City Council wants the voting public to increase the number of terms they can serve. I am not necessarily against that idea for incumbents, but I am firmly against getting rid of the write-in option. If you get rid of the write-in, you get rid of accountability.

Further, the e-mails I have received from some councilmembers and the mailers I have received in support of this measure are misleading. The write-in was never a "loophole" as the mailers have stated. In fact, it was approved by the voters at the same time term limits were put in place. To claim anything different is a fabrication and appears to be an attempt to confuse voters into favoring the measure. This is unfortunate.

Simply put, we can do better, and the best way to do this is to be above board and remain honest with the voters.

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Assemblyman O'Donnell stopped short of calling out Mayor Garcia or City Auditor Doud by name, but a Garcia-Doud named political committee (run by Garcia) has sent recent mailers and mass emailings claiming BBB closes a "confusing loophole."

In recent days, some Dem incumbents including Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez and Councilman Rex Richardson have added another argument, claiming BBB has a civil rights component by eliminating a confusing write-in requirement that creates an additional hurdle for historically disenfranchised voting groups.

As separately reported by LBREPORT.com, an Oct. 11 meeting of LB's Dem Party activists disallowed a vote by members and cited bylaws in supporting Measures AAA-DDD.

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Assemblyman O'Donnell is the second currently elected LB official to publicly oppose BBB. Earlier this week, Councilwoman Suzie Price said she would be voting "no" on BBB LBREPORT.com coverage here.

O'Donnell didn't mention Mayor Garcia or Auditor Doud by name, but their jointly-named political committee (run by Garcia) recently sent a mass mailing, and has sent mass emails, claiming BBB closes a "loophole."

The LB Reform Coalition issued a statement saying:

Assemblyman O’Donnell brings a unique perspective on Measure BBB and special credibility in challenging the claim by its proponents that the current write-in option is a "loophole." O'Donnell is one of only three elected officials, during the 26 years since passage of the original term limits law, to win a third term as a write-in...He can attest that the challenge of a write-in campaign is a great way to hold incumbents accountable to their constituents.

We thank Assemblyman O’Donnell for joining with our effort to save the current term limits system: two standard-election terms with a write-in extra term option...

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In 2012, then-Councilman O'Donnell used LB's voter-approved term limit law's write-in option to win a third four-year term, qualifying in an April 2012 write-in for ballot placement in a June runoff, where he prevailed over then-candidate Daryl Supernaw. Two years later, O'Donnell sought and won an Assembly seat (vacated as anticipated by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal in 2014), creating a Council vacancy that Supernaw filled in a special early 2015 election.

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Assemblyman O'Donnell's statement has additional political significance since he is frequently aligned with the positions of the LB Police Officers Ass'n and LB Firefighters Ass'n (unions representing LB's police and firefighters). The two unions' leadership have endorsed BBB.

Earlier in 2018, O'Donnell dissented from Dem party leadership -- and from Mayor Garcia -- in opposing the 4 a.m. bar closure bill (SB 905.) Last year, O'Donnell dissented from Sac'to Dem Party leadership by voting against density-promoting SB 35.

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