CA’s 12 Propositions

By: Danielle Dungca

November 3. On this day, the people of the United States voted in an effort to make a change to the country. With Joe Biden winning the election and becoming the Presidential-Elect, the talk is circulating around the US. However, there is more to the story.
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Accompanying the presidential race are propositions, which are legislations that appear on the ballot for voters to either approve or disapprove of. Each state has their own list of propositions placed on the ballot. This article will give a breakdown of those proposed by the California government, as well as the outcomes of voting yes. This year, there are a total of 12:

Proposition 14 
Proposition 14 deals with money. By voting yes, $5.5 billion state bonds will be authorized to fund stem and medical research. The money given will be able to be put into training, construction, administrative costs, and more. The legislation will help to develop further treatments for life threatening diseases such as Cancer, Alziehmer’s, Heart Disease, Parkinson’s, Kidney Disease, and more. In addition, voting yes on the law will increase patient access and affordability. 

Proposition 15 
Proposition 15 also deals with money. To give a synopsis of this legislation, it increases public school, community college, and local government service funding. Voting yes on Prop. 15 will raise taxes on commercial properties worth $3 million and more. The increased amount of money will help to provide for the spaces promised in the law. Proposition 15 will result in a more fair and balanced tax reform, in which small business taxes are cut, protection for homeowners and renters is provided, and nurses and teachers are supported more. 

Proposition 16 
To change subjects, this is a legislation dedicated to affirmative action. The affirmation of Prop. 16 will directly repeal Proposition 209 passed in 1996. To put into simpler terms, Prop 16 will allow diversity to be a factor in public employment, education, and contracting decisions. Diversity can be classified as race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, and more. It is believed that voting yes on this legislation will result in an expansion of equal opportunity for all Californians. This will then increase the people’s exposure to fair wages and better jobs. 

Proposition 17 
Prop. 17 can be associated with suffrage. By voting yes, those who have convicted of felonies that are on parole will be restored their right to vote. Of course, the people in question would have to meet the voting requirements, such as being at least 18, a resident of California, and a citizen of the U.S. An argument that can be made by those fighting for the legislation is based off of a recent study which states that citizens who have completed their prison term and have regained the right to vote were less likely to commit crimes in the future. 

Proposition 18 
Just like Proposition 17, Proposition 18 relates to suffrage. Ironically, this legislation is based on the voting age, 18. By voting yes, people who are 17 that are turning 18 by the time of the general election will be able to vote in the primary election. This proposition is meant to boost youth engagement and promote long lasting participants in political activities.

Proposition 19
Going back to the beginning, Proposition 19 relates to money. More specifically, this is dedicated to taxes. Voting yes on Prop. 19 will allow residents who are over the age of 55, disabled, or natural disaster victims to be able to inherit property tax savings when they move. This legislation is only applicable to spaces that are used as primary living homes or farms. 

Proposition 20 
To introduce a new category, Proposition 20 is based on law enforcement. This proposition will restrict parole for offenses that have been considered to be non-violent and authorizes felony sentences for certain offenses that are more classifiable as misdemeanors. By voting yes, specific people’s access to parole programs will be limited depending on the offense they have been accounted for. 

Proposition 21 
Housing is the topic of Proposition 21. In summary, Prop. 21 gives local governments more power to use rent control on residential property that is 15 years or older. Though it is quite clear at this point, voting yes on this legislation will make it state law to allow cities and counties to apply more rent restrictions. 

Proposition 22
Shifting the topic even more, Prop. 22 is related to business. Specifically, the business of app-based drivers such as those belonging to Uber and Lyft. By voting yes, these drivers will be recognized as independent contractors rather than employees. They will be able to work when, where, and how ever much they want to. However, they will not be given the standard benefits and protections that employees would be given. 

Proposition 23
Proposition 23 is associated with healthcare. Specifically, Prop. 23 is dedicated to Kidney Dialysis clinics. By voting yes, you are agreeing to the requirement of a physician at the facility of Dialysis clinics as well as consent from the government for them to close. It is believed that this legislation will combat poor hygiene associated with the clinics by requiring reports of infections. 

Proposition 24
Going back to the topic of Prop. 22, Proposition 24 is about business and their dealings with personal information. Voting yes on Prop. 24 will allow people to do several things. For example, they will be able to prevent businesses from sharing personal information, correct false information, and limit their use of “sensitive personal information”. Personal information includes, geolocation, race, ethnicity, health information, and much more. 

Proposition 25 
Lastly, Proposition 25 is about trials. Voting yes will approve of the replacement of money bail with a system based on public safety and flight risk. Now, this may be a little confusing. Basically, people in question would not be allowed to pay bail to be released from prior to their trial. Instead, they would either be released automatically or evaluated based on their risk of committing another crime. 

Whether you agree or disagree with the listed propositions, it is important to go out and vote! Every single vote matters. It is important to remember that each state has their own list of propositions on the ballot. These specific ones belong to the state of California, if you are not a resident of the state, look up the ones valid to you! 



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