California voters face numerous ballot measures in November
As many as 18 questions will compete for voters’ attention in November during a red-hot presidential campaign that also includes picking the state’s first new U.S. senator in a generation. Thursday was the deadline for the secretary of state’s office to certify which initiatives have gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the Nov. 8 ballot. Here’s a look at the initiatives on the ballot:
On the ballot:
__PLASTIC BAGS: Would overturn a 2014 state law banning single-use plastic bags in grocery stores. Backed by the American Progressive Bag Alliance, an industry group. The statewide ban has been on hold during the challenge.
__CARRY-OUT BAGS: Would require that money collected by grocers for selling multi-use carryout bags is used for environmental projects. The measure is related to the effort by the plastic bag industry to overturn a 2014 state law banning single-use plastic bags in grocery stores.
__PUBLIC FINANCES: Would require voter approval for any project that raises more than $2 billion in revenue bonds, or debt that is repaid with user fees. The measure, buoyed by $4 million from Stockton farmer Dean Cortopassi, may affect high-speed rail and giant water tunnels.
__ADULT FILMS: Would require actors in pornographic films to use condoms during sexual intercourse. Backed by the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
__PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS: Would impose controls on state purchases of prescription drugs, establishing that prices can be no higher than what the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pays. Backed by the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
__HOSPITAL FEES: Would prohibit the Legislature from diverting fees on hospitals that are intended to make the state eligible for federal funds under the Medicaid program for low-income patients, Medi-Cal. Backed by the California Hospital Association.
__SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION: Would authorize the sale of $9 billion in school construction bonds, mostly to build and upgrade K-12 facilities. Backed by the Coalition for Adequate School Housing and California Building Industry Association.
__END DEATH PENALTY: Would do away with the nation’s largest death row and substitute life sentences with no chance of parole for nearly 750 condemned inmates. Backed by actor and activist Mike Farrell among others. A competing measure to speed up executions is also on the ballot.
__DEATH ROW APPEALS: Would accelerate appeals by inmates on death row to speed up executions. Backed by many law enforcement officials and former NFL defensive back Kermit Alexander, whose mother, sister and two nephews were killed in 1984. A competing measure to repeal the death penalty is also on the ballot.
__GUN CONTROL: Would tighten California’s already tough gun control laws by requiring background checks to buy ammunition, outlaw possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and streamline a program that allows authorities to seize firearms from owners who are no longer allowed to own them. Backed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democratic candidate for governor in 2018.
__LEGISLATIVE TRANSPARENCY: Would prohibit Legislature from passing bills unless they are published for 72 hours. Backed by investor Charles Munger and former GOP lawmaker Sam Blakeslee.
__MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION: Would allow adults 21 and over to buy an ounce of marijuana and marijuana-infused products at licensed retail outlets and also to grow up to six pot plants for personal recreational use. Backed by Facebook co-founder Sean Parker and Newsom.
__PRISON POPULATION: Would increase sentencing credits for adult inmates, allow earlier parole for non-violent felons and let judges decide which juvenile offenders are tried as adults. Backed by Gov. Jerry Brown as part of his plan to reduce the state prison population.
Placed on the ballot by the state Legislature:
__MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION: Would repeal prohibitions on multilingual instruction in public schools included in a previous “English only” initiative voters approved in 1998. Proposition 227 largely banned bilingual education and required that non-English speakers be taught in English.
__CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS: Asks voters if California elected officials should push to amend the U.S. Constitution to overturn a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Citizens United that lifted many restrictions on corporate election spending.
__CIGARETTE TAX: Would raise California’s cigarette tax by $2 a pack to $2.87, making it ninth-highest in the nation from its current ranking of 36th. Backed by billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, health care groups and organized labor.
__TAX EXTENSION: Would extend by 12 years the temporary personal income tax increases enacted in 2012 on earnings over $250,000 for single filers (over $500,000 for joint filers), with 89 percent of the money going to K-12 schools and 11 percent to community colleges.
Pending approval by the state Legislature:
__PARKS MAINTENANCE: Would use $3 billion in bonds to improve state and local parks across California, with $600 million for projects that address the effects of climate change. Democratic proponents could pull strings to get it on the November ballot after Thursday.
Withdrawn by proponents:
__HOSPITAL EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION: Would prohibit hospitals from paying executives annual compensation exceeding the salary and expense of the president of the United States, currently $450,000.
