By Jesse Russell with Vinny Lombardo and Leilani Albano

California voters are headed to the polls today for a hotly contested special election. Not only is it the most expensive election in that state's history, the outcome could determine the ability of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to hold onto his seat and the viability of the labor movement. At the core of the debate are propositions 74 through 78. Leilani Albano has more from Los Angeles:

Propositions 74 through 78 deal with: toughening tenureship rules for teachers, weakening public-sector unions, school spending limits, changing re-districting methods, and gaining access to low-cost pharmaceuticals.

Firefighter, Andy Doyle, who spoke at a recent rally at downtown Pershing Square, had this to say about the Special Elections.

[DOYLE]: Firefighters are working people just like everyone else. This is who the governor is attacking. Me, you and every worker in California and we will not stand for it. (clapping)(18 seconds)

David Hernandez, who is a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District, also spoke out against the governor.

[HERNANDEZ]: How dare you, how dare you attack us…(clapping)…we say that if Governor Schwarzenneger wants to help, he should come with us into the trenches for more than just a photo opportunity then he can see for himself the conditions we cope with everyday, then maybe he would work with us, instead of attacking us. (25 seconds)

Proposition 75 is a major concern for organized labor. The so-called "paycheck protection act" would limit the ability of public sector unions to spend the money of members on political campaigns. Vinny Lombardo has more from Santa Cruz:

George Martinez, of the California Federation of Teachers, says this measure is a direct attack on public sector employees who have been fighting the governor's attempts to cutback in education and public service spending.

GM: "The way that we're able to do this is by all of us collectively contributing a little bit of our union dues for political action, and so, they want to stop us."

State Assemblyman John Laird, who chairs the Budget Committee, says this election is nothing more than a power-grab.

JL: "Mid-decade redistricting, try to take control over teachers, try to take control over spending with nobody checking him on it, those are all not good things. But on each individual level, these propositions are bad public policy."

Also of major concern, but receiving little attention is Prop 80 which calls for the reregulation of the electric industry. After the energy crisis in California following the deregulation of 1996, the state instated temporary regulation contracts. Eric Wolf of IBEW 1245 says Prop 80 needs to pass or there will be a problem when those contract expire:

[Wolf]: Over the next few years, the ability of unregulated power suppliers to reemerge in the market and recreate all of the turbulence we saw before, that power is restored.

The Workers Independent News has a comprehensive look at today's election on our website at www.laborradio.org.