Schools chief urges Molly Munger to drop negative ads

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Backers of Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax hike plan are turning up the pressure on proponents of a rival measure to change their political advertising.

The campaign pushing Proposition 30, Brown’s plan to temporarily hike upper income and sales taxes, issued a pair of statements Wednesday urging the Proposition 38 campaign to change its tone.

The Yes on 38 campaign, bankrolled by Pasadena civil rights attorney Molly Munger, began airing new ads this week criticizing the governor’s proposal, and saying ads promoting Brown’s plan are misleading.

State schools Supt. Tom Torlakson, a Democrat who is backing both ballot measures, issued a statement distributed by the Yes on 30 campaign asking Munger to stop airing the ad.

“I have urged Molly Munger, in the strongest possible way, not to air any such advertisement,” Torlakson said in the statement. “I consider this to be the kind of negative campaigning that will confuse voters and turn them away from favorable consideration of either measure. I am concerned that this anti-Proposition 30 advertisement will create additional confusion about the two measures and lead to the defeat of both.”

Earlier in the day, the Yes on 30 campaign sent a letter to Carol Kocivar, the head of the California State PTA, which is also backing Munger’s measure, to disavow the ads.

In an interview, Kocivar said she did not have a problem with the new Yes on 38 ads. “I think that voters deserve the opportunity to be able to distinguish between the initiatives,” she said. It’s part of being able to inform people about what they’re voting on.”

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-- Anthony York in Sacramento