The campaign to defeat proposition 98, a statewide measure that aims to limit the government’s ability to seize private property while phasing out rent control, is out with its first television advertisement of the cycle.

The 30-second spot emphasizes the campaign’s central message: that the measure is a veiled attempt to benefit landlords and that it would harm tenants. The ad also highlights the opposition of the AARP to the measure.

“AARP, the nation’s leading senior organization, strongly opposes Proposition 98,” an announcer says. An elderly man then states, “Prop. 98 is a deceptive scheme by a few wealthy landlords to eliminate rent control. “98 also enables unfair evictions of seniors and other renters so that rents can be raised without limits. And 98 creates loopholes for landlords so that they can get around laws that protect our environment. Stop this shameful deceptive scheme. Vote no on 98.”

The No on 98 effort is supportive of Proposition 99, an alternative statewide June 3 ballot measure that is less restrictive in limiting the government’s land seizure powers but that lacks the rent control component.

Marko Mlikotin, a spokesman for Yes on 98, said the ad failed to address how the government’s land seizure power could harm people.

“Prop. 99 is a sham placed on the ballot by politicians and developers to deny Californians private property rights. If they were truly concerned with reforming eminent domain abuse, their first ad would be promoting the need to abolish the abusive practice of allowing government to forcibly seize private property for development interests,” he said.