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BERKELEY'S NEWS • NOVEMBER 18, 2023

Majority of state ballot measures approved

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GOLDIA KITECK | SENIOR STAFF

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NOVEMBER 09, 2016

Prop. 51: Funding public school building modernization — Passes

Winning with 54 percent of the vote, Proposition 51 will allocate funds for repairing, modernizing and constructing public school buildings through bond sales.

The total cost of repaying the bond is expected to be $17.6 billion, approximately $500 million per year for 35 years to repay the initial $9 billion and $8.6 billion interest on the bonds.

Prop. 52: Extending statute imposing charges on private hospitals — Passes

Passing with about 70 percent of the vote, Proposition 52 will require voter approval to modify the use of certain hospital fees to fund Medi-Cal services and match federal money.

It will also indefinitely continue this hospital fee program, which was originally supposed to end Jan. 1, 2018, unless repealed by a two-thirds majority vote from the California Legislature.

Prop. 53: Public review of major bonds — Fails

Proposition 53 failed with 49 percent of the vote in favor. Proposition 53 would have amended the state constitution to require voter approval of any state-issued bond exceeding $2 billion for state-managed projects that would require a tax increase or repayment fees.

Also known as the No Blank Checks Initiative, Proposition 53 will require politicians to provide accurate estimates of project costs. The proposition will apply to previously approved projects if the bond amount is still more than $2 billion.

Prop. 54: Requiring California Legislature bills online 3 days before vote — Passes

Proposition 54, which will require Legislatures to publish a bill online and in print 72 hours before voting passed Tuesday night with 64 percent of the vote in favor of the measure.

The proposition will also require the Legislature to record public proceedings and post them online within 24 hours. Proposition 54 allows any individual to record open legislative proceedings.

Prop. 55: Extending income tax of wealthy — Passes

Proposition 55, which passed with 62 percent, will add another 12 years to a tax increase that voters passed in 2012.

Proposition 55 is an extension of Proposition 30’s increases and allocates about 89 percent of the tax revenues to K-12 schools and 11 percent to community colleges. It also barred the use of education revenues for administrative costs but gives local school boards the discretion to decide in open meetings how the revenues are to be spent.

Prop. 56: Increasing tax on cigarette products — Passes

Proposition 56, which will increase taxes on tobacco products and electronic cigarettes containing nicotine, has passed with 63 percent of the vote.

There will be an increase in the tax on licensed cigarette distributors depending on stamps on the packages of cigarettes and a $2 increase on retail tax on packs of cigarettes on top of the currently existing $0.87 tax.  

Prop. 57: Reforming prison parole system — Passes

Winning with 64 percent, Proposition 57 will reform the prison parole system and allow juvenile court judges to decide whether juveniles 14 years and older will be prosecuted as adults.

This new measure will build on 2014’s proposition, allowing for increased parole consideration for inmates who have been convicted of nonviolent felonies and awarding sentence credits for rehabilitation, good behavior or educational achievements.

Prop. 58: Allowing non-English classrooms in public schools — Passes

Passing with 72 percent of the vote, Proposition 58 will allow non-English languages to be used in California public school classes.

The law will allow public schools to establish dual-language immersion programs for both native and non-native English learners. It was supported by the California Democratic Party, as well as the Berkeley Unified School District and many other districts.

Prop. 59: Citizen input on Citizens United — Passes

Winning with 52 percent of the vote, Proposition 59 will propose an advisory question to California elected officials regarding overturning Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee by drafting a new constitutional amendment.

The supreme court case determined that regulating the amount of money that corporations spent on individual campaigns would be an infraction of their First Amendment right.  

Prop. 60: Requiring condoms in porn — Fails

Failing with 46 percent of the vote, Proposition 60 would have required adult film actors to use condoms and take other protective measures when filming pornographic films.

As the leading producer of pornographic films, California would have had to require adult film producers to prove condoms were used in the filming of sexual intercourse, though condoms would not be required to be visible in films. Any state resident would have been permitted to enforce violations.

Producers would have had to be licensed by California Division of Occupational Safety and Health and would also have to pay for performer vaccinations, medical examinations and testing related to sexually transmitted infections.

Prop. 61: Restricting cost of prescription drugs statewide — Fails

Proposition 61 — which prohibits state agencies from buying any prescription drugs from a manufacturer at a greater price than the discounted amount the United States Department of Veterans Affairs pays for the same drug — failed with 54 percent voting against it.

This law would have applied to any program where the state agency is the ultimate payer for the prescription drug, even if the agency itself is not buying it. Managed care programs that are funded through Medi-Cal would have been exempt.

Prop. 62: Repealing death penalty — Fails
Prop. 66: Speeding up death penalty process — Passes

Proposition 62, which would have repealed the death penalty, failed with 46 percent of voters in favor and 54 percent against.

Proposition 66 passed with 51 percent of the vote and will amend the death penalty to be more efficient in order to bring closure to victims’ families and justice to criminals.

Among the reforms that the law will create are enforcements on current court-approved time limits and shorter deadlines to carry out executions.  

Prop. 63: Increasing ammunition purchase regulations — Passes

The Safety for All Act of 2016, Proposition 63, passed today, winning 63 percent of the vote. The proposition will put more restrictions on firearm ammunition distribution and registration.

The law puts a ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines, including a fine on those who currently own a large-capacity magazine.

It also outlines the penalties to a licensed firearm owner if a child under the age of 18 gains access to the firearm and states that the owner must put up a sign warning about the presence of a firearm in the licensed premises.

Prop. 64: Legalizing recreational marijuana — Passes

Proposition 64, also known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, passed with 56 percent of the vote.

The law aims to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21 and sets comprehensive regulations on the growth, distribution and taxing of nonmedical marijuana.

Prop. 65: Using bag sale revenue for environment projects — Fails

With 55 percent of voters rejecting the measure, Proposition 65 would have redirected money collected from the sale of carryout bags into a special fund administered by the Wildlife Conservation Board.

If Proposition 65 had more yes votes than Proposition 67, a measure to ban plastic single-use bags, the funds acquired from the sale of these bags would have been directed toward the conservation fund. In addition, Proposition 65 would have overridden Proposition 67’s bag ban depending on how the measures are interpreted.

But because Proposition 65 had fewer yes votes than Proposition 67, a measure to ban plastic single-use bags, the funds acquired from the sale of these bags will be kept in stores. Thus, Proposition 65 will not be in effect.

Prop. 67: Banning single-use plastic bags — Passes

With 52 percent approval, Proposition 67 passed and will support upholding Senate Bill 270, which bans certain plastic bags.

If passed, California would become the first state to ban the sale of plastic single-use bags, California would ratify SB 270, prohibiting large grocery stores and pharmacies from providing these bags. Stores, however, would still have single-use plastic bags for meat, bread, produce, bulk food and other perishable items.

If Proposition 65 receives more votes than Proposition 67, the revenue gained by the single-bag ban would be directed toward the state instead of being kept by the stores. Thus, a special fund would be created to direct this revenue for environmental projects.

Contact Sakura Cannestra, Gibson Chu and Justin Sidhu at [email protected].
LAST UPDATED

NOVEMBER 09, 2016


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