This site is purely devoted to giving you FAST and CONCISE information on the upcoming California Propositions. Here's the list:
1A - California High Speed Rail Bond. S.B. 1856.
2 - Treatment of Farm Animals. Statute.
3 - Children's Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program. Statute.
4 - Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy. Constitutional Amendment. (third attempt at Proposition 73)
5 - Nonviolent Offenders. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Statute.
6 - Criminal Penalties and Laws. Public Safety Funding. Statute.
7 - Renewable Energy. Statute.
8 - Eliminates the Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
9 - Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights. Parole. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
10 - Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Statute.
11 - Redistricting. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
12 - Veterans' Bond Act of 2008. S.B. 1572.
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Short explanation of each California Proposition:(source: www.wikipedia.org)
1A - The proposition would allocate $9.95 billion to the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Of that $9.95 billion, $9 billion will be used to construct the core segments of the rail line from San Francisco to the Los Angeles area and the rest will be spent on improvements to local railroad systems, which would feed into the high-speed rail mainline. However, the project would still depend on federal matching funds, since a $9.95 billion bond issue would cover at most half of the estimated cost of the initial core segment.[3] The money will be raised through general obligation bonds that are paid off over a time period of 30 years.[3]
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2- Proposition 2, the proposed Standards for Confining Farm Animals initiative statute, is a California ballot proposition in that state's general election on November 4, 2008. The proposition would add a chapter to Division 20 of the California Health and Safety Code to prohibit the confinement of certain farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. The measure would deal with three types of confinement: veal crates, battery cages, and sow gestation crates.
If approved by the voters, the statute would become operative on January 1, 2015. Farming operations would have until that date to implement the new space requirements for their animals, and the measure would prevent animals in California from being confined in these ways in the future.
The California Secretary of State's summary from the Official Voter Information Guide[1] of Proposition 2 is as follows:
Requires that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely.
Exceptions made for transportation, rodeos, fairs, 4-H programs, lawful slaughter, research and veterinary purposes.
Provides misdemeanor penalties, including a fine not to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment in jail for up to 180 days.
Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:
Potential unknown decrease in state and local tax revenues from farm businesses, possibly in the range of several million dollars annually.
Potential minor local and state enforcement and prosecution costs, partly offset by increased fine revenue.[1]
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3- Proposition 3, or the Children's Hospital Bond Act, is a California bond issue via initiative that has qualified for the November 2008 ballot.[1] The campaign to enact the measure is supported by hospitals--all donors to the campaign of over $5,000 are hospitals.[2]
It authorizes $980,000,000 in bonds, to be repaid from state’s General Fund, to fund the construction, expansion, remodeling, renovation, furnishing and equipping of children’s hospitals. The annual payment on the debt authorized by the initiative would be about $64 million a year. Altogether, the measure would cost about $1.9 billion over 30 years out of California's general fund.[3]
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4 - Proposition 4, or the Abortion Waiting Period and Parental Notification Initiative, also known to its supporters as Sarah's Law, is an initiated amendment that will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in California. It proposes a new amendment to the California Constitution.[1][2][3]
The initiative would prohibit abortion for unemancipated minors until 48 hours after physician notifies minor’s parent, legal guardian or, if parental abuse has been reported, an alternative adult family member.
Specific provisions
The proposed initiative, if enacted as a constitutional amendment, would:
Provide exceptions for medical emergency or parental waiver.
Permit courts to waive notice based on clear and convincing evidence of minor’s maturity or best interests.
Mandate reporting requirements, including reports from physicians regarding abortions on minors.
Authorize monetary damages against physicians for violation.
Require minor’s consent to abortion, with exceptions.
Permit judicial relief if minor’s consent is coerced.
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5 - Provisions of the initiative
Proposition 5:
Requires California to expand and increase funding and oversight for individualized treatment and rehabilitation programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees.
Reduces criminal consequences of nonviolent drug offenses by mandating three-tiered probation with treatment and by providing for case dismissal and/or sealing of records after probation.
Limits court’s authority to incarcerate offenders who violate probation or parole.
Shortens parole for most drug offenses, including sales, and for nonviolent property crimes.
Creates numerous divisions, boards, commissions, and reporting requirements regarding drug treatment and rehabilitation.
Changes certain marijuana misdemeanors to infractions.
Fiscal impact analysis
According to the state of California, the initiative, if it passes, would lead to:
Increased state costs that could exceed $1 billion annually primarily for expanding drug treatment and rehabilitation programs for offenders in state prisons, on parole, and in the community.
Savings to the state that could exceed $1 billion annually due primarily to reduced prison and parole operating costs.
Net savings on a one-time basis on capital outlay costs for prison facilities that could exceed $2.5 billion.
Unknown net fiscal effect on expenditures for county operations and capital outlay.
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6 - Provisions of Prop 6
Proposition 6 places additional penalties on gang related and drug crime
Proposition 6 would:
Require new state spending on various criminal justice programs, as well as for increased costs for prison and parole operations. This funding is equivalent to 0.3% of California's General Fund.
Authorize prosecution as an adult (rather than in juvenile court, if a juvenile court judge consents) of any youth 14 years old or older who has been convicted of a gang-related felony.
Require that all occupants who are recipients of public housing subsidies submit to annual criminal background checks and lose housing if convicted of a recent crime in order to free up housing for non-criminals.
Increase penalties for several crimes, including violating gang injunctions, using or possessing to sell methamphetamine, or carrying loaded or concealed firearms by certain felons.
Eliminate bail for illegal immigrants charged with violent or gang-related felonies.
Establish as a crime the act of removing or disabling a monitoring device affixed as part of a criminal sentence.
Change evidence rules to allow use of certain hearsay statements as evidence when witnesses are made unavailable due to actions by the defendant.[1]
Requires a 3/4 vote to amend.
Estimated fiscal impact
The California Legislative Analyst's Office has arrived at the following summary of Prop. 6's estimated costs:
Net state costs likely to exceed a half billion dollars annually primarily for increased funding of criminal justice programs, as well as for increased costs for prison and parole operations.
Unknown one-time state capital outlay costs potentially exceeding a half billion dollars for prison facilities.
Unknown net fiscal impact for state trial courts, county jails, and other local criminal justice agencies.[2]
Funds to pay for these costs, should Prop. 6 pass, will come from 0.3% of California's general fund.[3]
In the current California state budget, $600 million dollars (0.6%) is set aside to assist with local law enforcement. If the initiative passes, an additional $350 million (0.3%) will be required to enforce some of its provisions.[4]
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California Proposition 7, would, if approved, require California utilities to procure half of their power from renewable resources by 2025. In order to make that goal, levels of production of solar, wind and other renewable energy resources will more than quadruple from their current output of 10.9%. [1] It will also require California utilities to increase their purchase of electricity generated from renewable resources by 2% annually to meet Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements of 40% in 2020 and 50% in 2025. Current law AB32 requires an RPS of 20% by 2010.
The 42 page measure, 7 pages of which is new law, is an initiated state statute that has qualified for the November 2008 ballot in California.[2]
Provisions in the initiative
All electric utilities (including municipally-owned utilities) will be required to provide half of their electricity from solar and clean energy facilities by 2025. Current law requires the state’s investor-owned utilities (Edison and PG&E, for example) to reach 20 percent renewable energy by 2010.
The California Energy Commission will be required to identify solar and clean energy zones, primarily in the desert, to jump-start clean power plants.
Renewable plant construction permits would be fast-tracked for approval by the California Energy Commission once all environmental reviews are in place. Fast-tracking would limit the period for local comments and participation to 100 days.
Penalties levied on utilities for specific acts of non-compliance would be reduced from 5% to 1%, but the total cap on fines that can be imposed on a utility would be eliminated.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) will have the authority and responsibility to allocate funds from these penalties into the construction and implementation of new and existing transmission lines to provide access for renewable energy to the grid.
Utilities will be prohibited from passing along penalties to their electric rate-payers.
Caps price impacts on consumer's electricity bills at less than 3 percent. However, the non-partisan California Legislative Analyst's Office states that “the measure includes no specific provisions to implement or enforce this declaration”.
Renewable energy sources include solar thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, small hydro, biomass, and tidal, etc., as provided for in current law Public Resources Code section 25741.
Utilities entering into contracts with alternative fuel providers will be required to sign 20-year contracts.
Estimated fiscal impact
The California Legislative Analyst's Office, the nonpartisan state agency charged with providing a neutral estimate about the fiscal impact on the state of ballot initiatives and state legislative bills, has arrived at the following summary of Prop. 7's estimated costs:
Increased state administrative costs of up to $3.4 million annually for the regulatory activities of the California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission, paid for by fee revenues.
Unknown impact on state and local government costs and revenues due to the measure’s uncertain impact on retail electricity rates. In the short term, the prospects for higher rates - and therefore higher costs, lower sales and income tax revenues, and higher local utility tax revenues - are more likely. In the long term, the impact on electricity rates, and therefore state and local government costs and revenues, is unknown.
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8 - Proposition 8 is an initiative state constitutional amendment on the 2008 California General Election ballot, titled Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry.[1][2] If passed, the proposition would "change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California."[3] A new section would be added stating "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."[3]
The measure was originally submitted for the ballot by petitioners with the title "California Marriage Protection Act."[4] The title and summary were revised by Attorney General Jerry Brown to more "accurately reflect the measure."[5] The Superior Court of California ruled in favor of these changes, stating, "The title and summary is not false or misleading because it states that Proposition 8 would 'eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry' in California. The California Supreme Court unequivocally held that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry under the California Constitution." [6]
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9 - Overview of Proposal
This measure amends the State Constitution and various state laws to (1) expand the legal rights of crime victims and the payment of restitution by criminal offenders, (2) restrict the early release of inmates, and (3) change the procedures for granting and revoking parole. These changes are discussed in more detail below.
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10- California Proposition 10, also known as the California Alternative Fuels Initiative, is an initiated state statute that will appear on the November 2008 ballot in California.
Proposition 10 is one of two ballot initiatives focusing on alternative fuels that will appear on the November 4 ballot in California.
The Proposal will:
Help consumers and others purchase certain high fuel economy or alternative fuel vehicles, including natural gas vehicles, and to fund research into alternative fuel technology.
Provide funding for research, development and production of renewable energy technology, primarily solar energy with additional funding for other forms of renewable energy; incentives for purchasing solar and renewable energy technology.
Provide grants to cities for renewable energy projects and to colleges for training in renewable and energy efficiency technologies.
Provisions of the initiative
The initiative authorizes $5 billion in bonds paid from state’s General Fund, allocated approximately as follows:
58% in cash payments of between $2,000 and $50,000 to purchasers of certain high fuel economy and alternative fuel vehicles;
20% in incentives for research, development and production of renewable energy technology;
11% in incentives for research and development of alternative fuel vehicle technology;
5% in incentives for purchase of renewable energy technology;
4% in grants to eight cities for education about these technologies; and
3% in grants to colleges to train students in these technologies.
Estimate of fiscal impact
According to the government's fiscal analysis office, the initiative would entail:
State costs of about $9.8 billion over 30 years to pay both the principal ($5 billion) and interest ($4.8 billion) costs on the bond.
Payments of about $325 million per year.
Increase in state sales tax revenues of an unknown amount, potentially totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, over the period from 2009 to beyond 2018.
Increase in local sales tax and VLF revenues of an unknown amount, potentially totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, over the period from 2009 to about 2018-19.
Potential state costs of up to about $10 million annually, through about 2018 -19, for state agency administrative costs not funded by the measure."
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11 - California Proposition 11, also known as the Voters FIRST Act, is proposed as an amendment to the California Constitution through initiative.
If enacted this initiative would have the following effect:
Changes authority for establishing Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization district boundaries from elected representatives to 14 member commission.
Requires government auditors to select 60 registered voters from applicant pool. Permits legislative leaders to reduce pool, then the auditors pick eight commission members by lottery, and those commissioners pick six additional members for 14 total.
Requires commission of five Democrats, five Republicans and four of neither party. Commission shall hire lawyers and consultants as needed.
For approval, district boundaries need votes from three Democratic commissioners, three Republican commissioners and three commissioners from neither party
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12 - Proposition 12 will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in California. It is also known as the Veterans' Bond Act of 2008. The measure was legislatively-referred to the ballot in Senate Bill 1572. The primary sponsor of SB 1572 was Senator Mark Wyland, R-Carlsbad. The vote to place the measure on the ballot was passed unanimously in both the California state senate (39-0) and assembly (75-0).
If the ballot proposition passes in November, it authorizes issuance of $900 million in bonds to create a fund that assist veterans who are purchasing farms, homes and mobile home properties.[1]
Fiscal impact
The non partisan California Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the proposition will result in costs of about $1.8 billion to pay off both the principal ($900 million) and interest ($856 million) on the bonds; costs paid by participating veterans. Average payment for principal and interest of about $59 million per year for 30 years."
Other Helpful Links:Another Voter Guide Site for CaliforniaOfficial California Election Site (where to vote, voter info, etc.)Official California State devoted ONLY to the PropositionsNational Voter InformationTHE National Election SiteObama Site with Videos of SpeechesCALIFORNIA PROPOSITION RESULTS WILL BE POSTED AFTER THE ELECTION:
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