From being tougher on certain crimes to same sex marriage, Californians were asked to vote on ten state propositions on the ballot. The results are partially reporting and will be certified on December 13, 2024.
YES ON PROP 2
Would provide $8.5billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges to renovate, fix and construct facilities. Some of the money would be set aside for removing lead from water, creating TK classrooms and building career and technical education facilities.
YES ON PROP 3
Would enshrine the right to same sex marriage into the California constitution, repealing proposition 8 – a measure approved by voters in 2008 which defined marriage as between a man and a woman. In practice the ballot wouldn’t change who can marry. It’s effectively void but still on the book, after the Supreme Court in 2013 allowed same sex marriage to resume in California.
YES ON PROP 4
Is to borrow $10 billion to respond to climate change. It would authorize $10 billion debt to spend on environmental and climate projects with the biggest chunk, $1.9 billion, for drinking water improvements. It prioritizes lower-income communities and those most vulnerable to climate change. Repaying the money could cost $400 million a year over 40 years, meaning tax payers could spend $16 billion.
NO ON PROP 5
Lowering the voting threshold to make it easier for local governments to fund affordable housing and infrastructure projects. Prop 5 would amend the California constitution by lowering the required threshold to 55% for any borrowing to fund affordable housing construction, down payment assistance programs and a host of ‘public infrastructure’ projects. At the moment most city and county bonds require voter approval….with support of at least two-thirds of those voting to pass.
NO ON PROP 6
Would limit forced labor in state prisons.
It would amend the California Constitution to prohibit the state from punishing inmates with involuntary work assignments and from discipling those who refuse to work. Instead, state prisons could set up a volunteer work assignment program to take time off sentences in the form of credits.
LEADING NO BUT TOO CLOSE TO CALL ON PROP 32
Would raise the state minimum wage to $18 an hour.
It would raise the minimum wage for the remainder of 2024 to $17 and then $18 an hour starting in January 2025 – a bump from the current $16. Small businesses with 25 or fewer employees would be required to start paying at least $17 next year and $18 in 2026. If voters say yes, California would have the national’s highest state minimum wage.
NO ON PROP 33
Allow local governments to impose rent controls. Cities would be allowed to control rents on any type of housing including single-family homes and new apartments and for new tenants. (currently cities cannot set rent control on single family homes or apartments built after 1995, and landlords are free to set their own rental rates when a new tenant moves in).
LEADING YES ON PROP 34 BUT TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Require certain providers to use prescription drug revenue for patients. It would require some California health care providers to spend at least 98% of the net drug sale revenue on “direct patient care.” The proposition does apply to all providers, only those that spend at least $100 million on expenses other than direct care, that also own and operate apartment buildings and that have racked up at least 500 severe health and safety violations in the last decade.
The measure would also put into law Newsom administration policy that requires all state agencies to negotiate lower drug prices as a single entity.
YES ON PROP 35
Make permanent a tax on managed care health insurance plans. It would require the state to spend the money from a tax on health care plans on Medi-Cal. The revenue would go to primary and specialty care, emergency services family planning, mental health and prescription drugs.
YES ON PROP 36
Allows felony charges for possessing certain drugs and for thefts under $950, if defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions. People convicted of certain drug or theft crimes could receive increased punishment, such as longer prison sentences. In certain cases, people who possess illegal drugs would be required to complete treatment or serve up to three years in prison. It toughens penalties for fentanyl and drug traffickers and "smash-and-grabs" while holding repeat offenders accountable.
