Secretary of State Alex Padilla has assigned proposition numbers to the legislative, initiative and referendum measures set to appear on the November 3 General Election ballot.
The proposition numbers and brief descriptions appear below. Where the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has adopted a position, that action is noted.
• Proposition 14. Authorizes Bonds to Continue Funding Stem Cell and Other Medical Research. Initiative Statute. Authorizes $5.5 billion in state general obligation bonds to fund grants from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine to educational, nonprofit and private entities for stem cell and other medical research, therapy development and delivery; medical training; and construction of research facilities.
• Proposition 15. Split Roll Property Tax. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. Increases funding for K–12 public schools, community colleges and local governments by requiring that commercial and industrial real property be taxed based on current market value. Exempted are residential properties; agricultural properties; and owners of commercial and industrial properties with combined value of $3 million or less. CalChamber opposes.
• Proposition 16. Repeals Proposition 209 of 1996. Placed on the ballot by the Legislature through ACA 5. Repeals the Proposition 209 ballot initiative approved by voters in 1996 to prohibit the state from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting.
• Proposition 17. Restores Voting Rights for Convicted Felons Upon Completion of Prison Term. Placed on the ballot by the Legislature through ACA 6. Will permit parolees to vote.
• Proposition 18. Allows Some 17-Year-Olds to Vote. Placed on the ballot by the Legislature through ACA 4. Will allow 17-year-olds to register to vote in a primary or special election if they are U.S. citizens, a resident of the state and will be at least 18 years old at the time of the next general election.
• Proposition 19. Property Tax Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters. Placed on the ballot by the Legislature through ACA 11. Starting April 1, 2021, will permit certain property owners to buy another primary residence and keep the property tax break of the home they are selling within two years of the sale of the original primary residence.
• Proposition 20. Restricts Parole for Non-Violent Offenders. Authorizes Felony Sentences for Certain Offenses Currently Treated Only as Misdemeanors. Initiative Statute. Imposes restrictions on parole program for non-violent offenders who have completed the full term for their primary offense. Expands list of offenses that disqualify an inmate from this parole program. Authorizes felony charges for specified theft crimes currently chargeable only as misdemeanors, including some thefts where the value is between $250 and $950. CalChamber supports.
• Proposition 21. Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property. Initiative Statute. Amends state law to allow local governments to establish rent control on residential properties more than 15 years old. Allows rent increases on rent-controlled properties of up to 15% over three years from the previous tenant’s rent above any increase allowed by local ordinance. CalChamber opposes.
• Proposition 22. Changes Employment Classification Rules for App-Based Transportation and Delivery Drivers. Initiative Statute. Establishes criteria for determining whether app-based transportation (rideshare) and delivery drivers are “employees” or “independent contractors.” Requires companies with independent contractor drivers to provide specified alternative benefits, including minimum compensation and health care subsidies based on engaged driving time, vehicle insurance, safety training and sexual harassment policies. Restricts local regulation of app-based drivers; criminalizes impersonation of such drivers; requires background checks. CalChamber supports.
• Proposition 23. Authorizes State Regulation of Kidney Dialysis Clinics. Establishes Minimum Staffing and Other Requirements. Initiative Statute. Among other provisions, requires at least one licensed physician on site during treatment at outpatient kidney dialysis clinics; authorizes Department of Public Health to exempt clinics from this requirement due to shortage of qualified licensed physicians if at least one nurse practitioner or physician assistant is on site.
• Proposition 24. Amends Consumer Privacy Laws. Initiative Statute. Permits consumers to prevent businesses from sharing personal information. Triples maximum penalties for violations concerning consumers under age 16. Establishes California Privacy Protection Agency to enforce and implement consumer privacy laws and impose administrative fines. Requires adoption of substantive regulations.
• Proposition 25. Referendum to Overturn a 2018 Law that Replaced Money Bail with a System Based on Public Safety Risk. Asks voters to approve state law passed in 2018 that replaces the money bail system with one providing for pretrial release from jail based on a determination of public safety or flight risk, and limiting pretrial detention for most misdemeanors.
