INITIATIVES for 2024

Results of November 2022 Propositions appears at bottom of this page.
Source: Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status :: California Secretary of State
Last Checked 1/24/2024. We encourage some initiatives to help correct bad State laws.

March 2024 (Primary Election) Measures

See the March 5 Election Web Page. Ballots mailed out February 5.

November 2024 (General Election) Initiatives

25% Signatures Obtained

1947. (23-0005) - REPEALS VOTER-ENACTED CHANGES TO PROPERTY TAX RULES FOR TRANSFERS BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT [Sponsored by HJTA, YES - HB, HJTA, CAGOP] - Reinstates property tax reassessment rules for certain real property transfers between family members (including by inheritance), which voters eliminated through Proposition 19 in 2020, reducing local property tax revenues and eliminating funding source for Proposition 19’s California Fire Response Fund. Allows transfers to children (or grandchildren if parents are deceased) without property tax reassessment of: (1) principal residence, regardless of current value or continued use as principal residence; and (2) $1 million in other real property. Starting in 2025, properties assessed under Proposition 19 may be reassessed under reinstated rules. [This initiative protects children from forced to sell their parent's home to pay the bumped-up tax burden. - HB]

Legislative Analyst: Some owners of inherited properties would [continue to] pay [existing] lower property taxes. This would reduce revenue [FALSELY WORDED, that is, not ADD new tax burden since these properties are not paying the proposed taxes currently ... NO existing income from taxes will be reduced. - HB] for local governments and schools by several hundred million dollars per year in the first few years. These losses would grow over time, reaching $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually.

1963. (23-0021A1) RESTRICTS SPENDING BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS MEETING SPECIFIED CRITERIA. - Requires certain health care providers to spend 98% of revenues from federal discount prescription drug program on direct patient care. Applies only to health care providers that: spent over $100,000,000 in any ten-year period on anything other than direct patient care; and operated multifamily housing with over 500 high-severity health and safety violations. Penalizes noncompliance by revoking health care licenses and tax-exempt status. Permanently authorizes state to negotiate Medi-Cal drug prices on statewide basis.

Legislative Analyst: Increased costs to state government, potentially up to the millions of dollars annually, to review entities’ compliance with the measure and enforce the measure’s provisions. These costs would be paid for by fees created under the measure. Uncertain fiscal impacts to state and local government health programs, depending on how the affected entities respond to the measure’s requirements.

1964. (23-0022) ADDS ONE-SEMESTER PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. [YES - HB] - Adds one-semester personal finance course to existing graduation requirements for public high school students (including those attending charter schools) beginning with the graduating class in 2030. Requires schools to begin offering the course by the 2026-27 school year. This course would be in addition to currently required one-semester economics course, which may—but is not required to—include personal finance curriculum. Students may fulfill new requirement by completing an existing University of California-approved personal finance course, or a new course approved by a school’s governing body.

Legislative Analyst: Potential increased costs to schools that could reach in the high tens of millions of dollars annually in the first few years and then likely decline over time. Costs could be related to additional teachers, curriculum development, and instructional materials and would depend on how the measure is implemented.

1966. (23-0024A1) PROVIDES PERMANENT FUNDING FOR MEDI-CAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES. - Makes permanent the existing tax on managed health care insurance plans, currently set to expire in 2026, which the state uses to pay for health care services for low-income families with children, seniors, people with disabilities, and other groups covered by the Medi-Cal program. Requires revenues to be used only for specified Medi-Cal services, including primary and specialty care, emergency care, family planning, mental health, and prescription drugs. Prohibits revenues from being used to replace other existing Medi-Cal funding. Caps administrative expenses and requires independent audits of programs receiving funding.

Legislative Analyst: Uncertain overall impact on state revenues and spending, including reduced legislative flexibility over the use of MCO tax funds. The extent of this impact depends on whether the measure would result in different state decisions around imposing, structuring, and spending proceeds from the managed care organization tax than in the absence of the measure.

In Signature Verification Phase [None pending]

Qualified for November 2024 Ballot
Even so, these initiatives will not be formally certified (announced) until June 27, 2024

SCA2, ACA1, and ACA5 originally scheduled for March Primary will now instead, per SB789, appear in November 5 General Election.

SCA 2 (Allen) PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS [NO - HB] - California Constitution prohibits development, construction, or acquisition of a low-rent housing project by any state public body until majority of qualified electors of city, town, or county (in which the development, construction, or acquisition of the low-rent housing project is proposed) approve. This measure repeals [local control].

ACA 5 (Low) MARRIAGE EQUALITY [NO - HB] - Removes Traditional Marriage (Voted in 2008 as Proposition 8) from State Constitution establishing marriage as a union between one man and one woman but later declared unconstitutional by federal judges. [This Assembly bill has no legal effect, but it gives those promoting same-sex marriage yet another platform to pressure traditional Christians, conservatives, and Republicans to abandon traditional/biblical marriage. The CAGOP Convention in September 2023 retained the State party platform instead of 'softening' it on the Faustian logic that giving up such a traditional plank would enable Republicans to get elected. - Harry Briley, AD16]

ACA 1 (Aguiar-Curry) Local government financing: affordable housing and public infrastructure: voter approval. [NO - HJTA, HB]- This constitutional amendment repeals one of the most important protections in Proposition 13 by lowering the existing two-thirds vote threshold for both local bonds and special taxes to 55 percent for a myriad of purposes. "This vampire bill keeps rising from the coffin every year." - HJTA

1916. (21-0022A1) - FUNDS PANDEMIC DETECTION AND PREVENTION BY INCREASING TAX ON PERSONAL INCOME OVER $5 MILLION. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT [NO - CAGOP, HB] - Increases tax on personal income over $5 million by 0.75% for 10 years, and allocates as follows:

50% to the California Institute for Pandemic Prevention (established by this measure), to award grants for research and development of technologies to detect and prevent future pandemics;
25% for public health programs for pandemic preparedness
25% for improvements to school facilities to limit disease transmission.

Creates Independent Scientific Governing Board to administer the Institute; requires board members have specified medical, technological, or public-health expertise.

Legislative Analyst: Increased tax range from $500 million to $1.5 billion annually for ten-year period. Revenues entirely support activities related to infectious disease control and pandemic prevention.

1921. (21-0027A1) - ELIMINATES EMPLOYEES’ ABILITY TO SUE FOR MONETARY PENALTIES FOR STATE LABOR-LAW VIOLATIONS. - Repeals 2004 law allowing employees to sue on behalf of themselves and other employees against employers to recover monetary penalties for certain state labor-law violations.

Labor Commissioner retains authority to enforce labor laws and impose penalties.
Eliminates Labor Commissioner’s authority to contract with private organizations or attorneys to assist with enforcement.
Requires Legislature to provide funding of unspecified amount for Labor Commissioner enforcement.
Requires Labor Commissioner to provide pre-enforcement advice; allows employers to correct identified labor-law violations without penalties. Authorizes increased penalties for willful violations.
Legislative Analyst: Likely increase in costs to enforce labor laws exceeding $100 million per year. Reduction in state penalty revenue used for enforcement by tens of millions annually.

1935. (21-0042A1) - LIMITS ABILITY TO RAISE REVENUES FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT [YES - HB] - For new or increased state taxes currently enacted by two-thirds vote of Legislature, also requires election and [2/3] majority voter approval.

Limits voter-proposed local special taxes by raising vote requirement to two-thirds.
Eliminates ability to advise how to spend revenues on same ballot as the proposed tax.
Expands definition of “taxes” to include certain regulatory fees, broadening application of tax approval requirements. Requires Legislature or local governing body set certain other fees.
Legislative Analyst: Lower revenues, potentially substantially lower, depending on future actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, voters, and courts.

1936. (21-0043A1) - RAISES MINIMUM WAGE. [NO - CAGOP] - Existing law requires annual increases to California’s minimum wage until it has reached $15.00 per hour for all businesses on January 1, 2023. This measure extends these annual increases ($1.00 per year) until minimum wage—currently, $15.00 per hour for businesses with 26 or more employees, and $14.00 per hour for smaller businesses—reaches $18.00 per hour. Thereafter, as existing law requires, the minimum wage will annually adjust for inflation. In periods of decreased economic activity, or General Fund deficit, the Governor may suspend annual increase up to two times, thereby extending timeline for reaching $18.00 per hour.

Legislative Analyst: Unclear change in revenues, likely between a loss of a couple billion and a gain of a few hundred million. Increase in costs likely between half a billion and a few billion.

1939. (22-0005) -REFERENDUM CHALLENGING 2022 LAW AUTHORIZING CREATION OF COUNCIL TO SET MINIMUM WAGE AND WORKING STANDARDS FOR FAST-FOOD WORKERS. - If the required number of registered voters sign this petition and it is timely filed, a 2022 law will not take effect unless approved at the next statewide general or special election after November 8, 2022. [A Yes means? A No means?] The challenged law:

Authorizes creation of Fast Food Council (upon submission of 10,000 fast-food worker signatures) to set working standards and minimum wage (up to $22/hour in 2023, with capped annual increases) at fast-food restaurants with 100+ nationwide locations;
Prohibits retaliation against fast-food workers for making certain workplace complaints.

1940. (22-0006) -REFERENDUM CHALLENGING 2022 LAW PROHIBITING NEW OIL AND GAS WELLS NEAR HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND HOSPITALS. - If the required number of registered voters sign this petition and it is timely filed, a 2022 law will not take effect unless approved at the next statewide general or special election after November 8, 2022. [A Yes means? A No means?] The challenged law:

Prohibits most new or modified oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of specified locations, including housing, schools, daycares, parks, healthcare facilities, community resource centers, detention facilities, and businesses open to the public.
Requires existing wells in these areas meet specified health, safety, and environmental requirements by January 1, 2025.

1942. (22-0008) EXPANDS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS’ AUTHORITY TO ENACT RENT CONTROL ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. - Repeals 1995 law that generally prevents cities and counties from limiting the initial rental rate that landlords may charge to new tenants in all types of housing, and from limiting rent increases for existing tenants in (1) residential properties that were first occupied after February 1, 1995; (2) single-family homes; and (3) condominiums.

This repeals that state law and re-enables cities and counties to establish their own rent control policies.
Legislative Analyst: Potential reduction in revenues in the high tens of millions of dollars per year over time. Depending on actions by local communities, tax revenue losses could be less or more. [[How does rent control reduce Tax Revenue? - HB]]

Seniors: If you are over 65, file with your local school district to waive locally passed property tax for schools (state-wide school taxes cannot be waved). See your property tax bill to see if your school district offers a local exclusion to seniors.

Local School Bonds on Ballot do not fall under the Prop 13 taxing authority 67% to pass. Instead, they only need 55% to pass!

Results of November 2022 Propositions

Overwhelming decisions with no progressive coast versus rural split

Statewide: 1: YES // 26: NO // 27: NO // 28: YES // 29: NO // 30: NO // 31: YES
Recommended: 1: NO // 26: NO // 27: NO // 28: ----   // 29: NO   // 30: NO // 31: NO

Prop Title Yes%   No%
1 Constitution: Reproductive Freedom    65% 35% Nearly all Counties
26 Sports Wagering on Tribal Lands 30% 70% All Counties
27 Online Wagering Outside Tribal Lands 17%    83% All Counties
28 School Arts and Music Funding 62%   38% Nearly all Counties
29 Regulates Kidney Dialysis Clinics 30% 70% All Counties
30 Tax to Fund ZEV/Wildfire Programs   41% 59% Nearly all Counties
31 Prohibit some Tobacco Products   62% 38% Nearly all Counties

Comments:
Prop 1 Californian Constitution now enforces no limits nor questions asked whatsoever on any abortion
Props 26/27 The gambling steep defeats might hopefully mean similar initiatives will be pulled from 2024.
Prop 29 Third election this Proposition has been soundly defeated. Will they try again in 2024?
Prop 31 Passage probably a reaction to anything Big Tobacco

Data Source: Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status :: California Secretary of State - The TVR does not take positions directly, but the Board agreed to pass along what conservatives are saying about these propositions appearing on your ballot.