Date: September 23, 2021
Contact: Geoff Vetter (916) 634-9051
[email protected]

Coalition Representing 120,000 Drivers and Diverse Organizations Follow California Attorney General in Appealing Flawed Proposition 22 Ruling

Sacramento, CA — The Protect App-Based Drivers & Services (PADS) Coalition, formerly the Yes on Prop 22 coalition, announced plans to follow the California Attorney General by filing an appeal in California’s First District Court of Appeal to overturn the misguided lower court ruling on Prop 22. If the flawed ruling is allowed to stand, up to 90% of California app-based earning opportunities would be at risk, and app-based rideshare and delivery drivers could lose access to historic new benefits and protections.

The coalition is confident its appeal will be successful to protect the will of nearly 60% of California voters, more than 120,000 California drivers, and social justice and community groups who supported Prop 22 and the independence, flexibility, and new benefits it provides to drivers.

The lower court judge ignored long-established legal precedent respecting and upholding the voters’ right of initiative as a check on their elected representatives. The coalition is confident the lower court’s ruling will be reversed because its legally flawed analysis deviates from decades of California Supreme Court precedent and would drastically restrict the voters’ initiative power not just in this case, but in virtually all instances, by limiting the subjects that initiatives can address and restricting voters from enacting comprehensive policy reforms.

“We cannot allow special interests to throw out the votes of 10 million Californians,” said Jim Pyatt, a part-time rideshare driver from the Sacramento area. “App-based drivers want to be independent, and we want the historic benefits Prop 22 provides us. Failing to uphold Prop 22 would jeopardize the ability of hundreds of thousands of California rideshare and delivery drivers, like me, to earn an income and provide for our families on our terms.”

“The ruling from the lower court judge was not only wrong and legally flawed, but it disenfranchises voters by silencing the voices of millions of California voters,” said Reverend Darryl Scarbrough, President of National Action Network — Sacramento Chapter. “Special interests behind this lawsuit are assaulting our fair and democratic election. We join others in supporting this appeal.”
“I served my country to protect our freedoms and our democracy,” said Al Porche, a U.S. Army Veteran from the San Diego area who drives with rideshare platforms and delivers essential food and packages. “I take it very personally when special interest groups are trying to overturn a clear and decisive vote of the people. Their efforts to strip us of our independence and take away our new benefits is shameful.”

“A single judge’s decision has ignored more than a century of precedent requiring the courts to safeguard the voters’ right of initiative,” said Julian Canete, President & CEO of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. “We can’t let the few decide an issue which has already been decided by so many Californians after a healthy debate and fair election.”

About Protect App-Based Drivers & Services (PADS) Coalition

The Protect App-Based Drivers & Services (PADS) coalition, formerly the Yes on Prop 22 coalition, is continuing to engage to ensure the will of California voters is upheld; to protect access to independent, app-based jobs; and to preserve the availability, affordability, and reliability of on-demand app-based rideshare and delivery services that are essential to Californians and our economy.

Proposition 22 was supported by 59% of California voters, 120,000 California drivers, and a diverse coalition of more than 140 groups including social justice, senior, community, business, veterans, and many others.