Ballot options begin to crystallize
Signature-gathering still underway, but 8 initiatives have qualified
So far, California voters will see eight statewide propositions for the general elections this fall.
A major proposition is the “Three States Initiative,” which would divide California into three parts.
The proposal, pushed by tech billionaire Tim Draper, would divide the state as it is into “Northern California,” “Southern California” and “California.”
If voters approve this proposal, the results would go to Congress on Jan. 1 and they would have a year to sanction the split. President Trump would also have the power to approve or veto the vote.
If approved, Los Angeles County would be in the new state of “California.”
The other finalized initiatives are as follows:
A proposal that would give a property tax break to baby-boomer homeowners over 55 buying a new home.
An initiative that would allow local jurisdictions to enact more comprehensive rent control laws.
A requirement for dialysis clinics to limit how much they can charge patients and issue refunds for revenue above certain amounts.
An initiative to issue $4 billion in bonds for housing programs and veterans’ home loans.
A measure to issue $8.877 billion in bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects.
A proposal to ban the sale of meat from animals confined in spaces below certain sizes
A labor initiative to allow ambulance providers to pay works who are on-call during breaks.
The gas tax repeal may also make it onto the ballot. It would overturn California’s newly enacted gas taxes and prohibit lawmakers from passing future increases without a statewide vote.
The law in contention, Senate Bill 1, concerns vehicle-fee and fuel-tax increases signed into law in April 2017 by Gov. Jerry Brown. It increased the gas tax by $0.12 per gallon and the diesel fuel tax by $0.20 per gallon, while also creating an annual transportation improvement fee and annual zero-emission vehicles fee. It would raise over $52 billion over a decade to pay for aging roads and transit systems.
State and county officials are set to finalize all measures that will appear on the ballot by the end of this month.