SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Forced labor, same-sex marriage and shoplifting are among 10 statewide ballot measures California voters will consider in November.
California’s secretary of state issued a proposition number for the measures on Wednesday after the Legislature added two more bonding proposals to the ballot.
Here’s a look at what voters will decide in November:
It asked voters for permission to borrow $10 billion for public school construction and repairs. Most of the money, $8.5 billion, will go to elementary and secondary schools. The rest, or $1.5 billion, will go to community colleges. No money is available for the California State University system or the University of California.
This would remove the ban on same-sex marriage from the California Constitution. Voters added the ban to the constitution in 2008. But the US Supreme Court prevented California from enacting the ban in 2013. However, language banning same-sex marriage remains in the state constitution. The proposed amendment would remove that ban and replace it with language that says, “The right to marry is a fundamental right.”
It is asking voters for permission to borrow $10 billion for various climate programs. The largest chunk of the money, $3.8 billion, will help pay for improving drinking water systems and preparing for droughts. Wildfire preparedness programs will receive $1.5 billion, while programs to combat sea level rise will receive $1.2 billion.
The rest will be divided into parks and outdoor recreation programs, clean air initiatives and programs to prepare for extreme heat, protect biodiversity and help keep farms and ranches sustainable.
It would change the state constitution to make it easier for local governments to borrow money, if they use the funds to build affordable housing or public infrastructure. Local governments, excluding school districts, can now only borrow money if two-thirds of voters agree.
It will lower that threshold to 55% for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects. Public infrastructure includes water and sewerage systems, public transport, libraries, broadband internet and hospitals.
It would change the California Constitution to prohibit forced labor in any form. The current constitution prohibits involuntary servitude, or forced labor, except as punishment for a crime. The exemption has been the target of criminal justice advocates concerned about prison labor conditions. It is not uncommon for incarcerated people to be put to work earning less than $1 an hour.
This would ultimately increase California’s minimum wage to $18 an hour. It is now $16 an hour for most people and $20 an hour for fast food workers. Health care workers will eventually see a minimum wage of $25 an hour, under legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year.
It would repeal a state law that prohibits cities and counties from foreclosing rentals on homes, condos and apartments built after 1995. Supporters say the proposal would help prevent homelessness.
Similar measures failed in 2018 and 2020 amid opposition led by landlord groups and the real estate industry. Opponents argue the proposal would hurt mom-and-pop landlords and slow the construction of affordable housing.
State lawmakers in 2019 approved a statewide 10% cap on annual rent increases. The law exempts new construction for 15 years and will expire in 2030. Several cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose also have local rent control policies.
This would allow California’s Medicaid program to pay pharmacies directly for prescription drugs. California began doing this in 2019 after Newsom signed an executive order authorizing the payments. This step will make the law.
The measure would also require some health care providers to spend almost all of the money they get from the federal prescription drug program directly on patient care instead of others.
This proposal appears to be directed at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The measure has the backing of the California Apartment Association, which helped pay for ads criticizing the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The foundation said it was targeted for support for rent control.
It would make doctors pay more to treat patients covered by Medicaid, the government-funded health insurance program for low-income people.
Managed care organizations contract with the state to provide these health benefits. The state taxes these organizations to help pay for the Medicaid program. This measure would require the state to use a portion of tax dollars to increase how much Medicaid pays doctors.
It would make shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders and increase penalties for some drug charges, including those involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl. It would also give judges the authority to order people with multiple drug charges to get treatment.
Supporters say the initiative is necessary to close loopholes in existing laws that challenge law enforcement to prosecute thieves and drug dealers.
Opponents, including Democratic state leaders and social justice groups, said the proposal would disproportionately imprison poor people and those with substance use problems instead of targeting ringleaders who hire large groups to steal things for them to sell online.
