Analysis of the 2024 Ballot Measures, by Kathy Hayes
Our speaker for the October 10, 2024 meeting was Kathy Hayes, who provided her usual excellent analysis of the ballot initiatives for the November 5, 2024 election. Kathy has a BA in political science from U.C. Davis, worked as a governmental affairs director for 25 years, and currently serves as an executive assistant to the principal of Elsie Allen High School. She is the daughter of Past President Merle Hayes, and regularly helps untangle ballot initiatives for us.
Kathy told us that the good news is that we aren’t going to have to read the ballot book because the main measures are for the most part about own set of values and belief structures. Do you believe in these concepts or not? Kathy went through the key issues for all the measures, stressing the value questions involved. Prop. 2 authorizes bond for public schools and community colleges. The bonds would be used to pay for facilities other than salaries or educational materials. Prop 2 also allows less affluent schools greater access to these bonds. School bond measures are important to allow school districts to seek matching funding from the state. Prop. 3, same sex marriage, would amend the state constitution to recognize the fundamental right to marry, regardless of race or sex. Prop. 4 authorizes $10 billion in bonds for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands from climate risks. Prop. 5 would change the state constitution to lower the threshold for the issuance of local bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure to 55%, rather than the 2/3rds requirement for most general obligation bonds. It would also prohibit using these funds to buy existing family homes. Prop. 6 would eliminate the constitutional provision allowing involuntary servitude for incarcerated people. If Prop. 6 passes prisoners could not be required to engage in work projects. They could still agree to work in exchange for credit to reduce their sentences. The question to ask yourself is whether you have a problem with forcing inmates to work while incarcerated.
Prop. 33 relates to rent control and would repeal current law that prevents local entities from limiting the initial rental rate for new tenants in all housing, among other things. Prop. 33 would repeal this law and prevent the state from limiting the ability of cities and counties to enact or maintain rent-control ordinances. The net effect of Prop. 33 is to repeal current state law and prevent the state from limiting local cities and counties rights to enact rent control ordinances.
Prop. 35 would provide permanent funding for Medi-Cal health care services. The existing tax on managed health care insurance plans used to pay for health care services for low-income families with children, seniors, disabled persons, and other Medi-Cal recipients is set to expire in 2026. Prop. 35 would make this tax permanent. One possible benefit of Prop. 35 is that doctor’s groups might be more willing to accept Medi-Cal payments. Prop. Would, among other things, reclassify as felonies certain drug and theft crimes. It would also create a new category of crime; a “treatment-mandated felony.” The principal backers of this proposition are big-box retailers.
The County’s Prop. I would increase the sales tax by 25 cents for childcare subsidies for such things as early childhood education, better access to preventive health care, and preventing child abuse/neglect. Measure J seeks to phase out concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) in the County. Kathy believes that Measure J is a test measure proposed by out-of-county animal rights groups. If it passes, Measure J would likely be proposed in other jurisdictions by these animal rights groups. Measure W would renew the current 1/8 cent sales tax to be used exclusively for the County’s library system to enhance/improve its services.
Thank you, Kathy, for the whirlwind tour of these ballot measures. As usual, we are all a bit more knowledgeable thanks to your presentation.
Click HERE to see the Zoom recording of Kathy's talk. It will be available for a limited time.
