For this upcoming election, the Express we have provided summaries of the 17 propositions on the ballot. All 17 propositions have immediate and long-term influence on City College students in their education and in their day-to-day lives.
Information on the propositions was obtained from non-partisan and non-profit groups, including CALmatters and Ballotpedia. We hope this will provide you with vital information needed to make your voting decisions.
To read summaries of all 17 propositions, visit CALmatters https://calmatters.org/elections and Ballotpedia https:// ballotpedia.org/California_2016_ballot_propositions.
PROPOSITION 51 – School construction
Authorizes the state to sell $9 billion in bonds toward the construction and renovation of public California K-12 schools and community colleges. Over the next 35 years it would cost taxpayers $17.6 billion, including $8.6 billion in interest.
Support
San Francisco Chronicle: “Passing Proposition 51 can go a long way in modernizing schools and community colleges across California. Vote Yes on Prop. 51.”
Opposition
Gov. Jerry Brown in a statement to the Los Angeles Times: “I am against the developers’ $9-billion bond. It’s a blunderbuss effort that promotes sprawl and squanders money that would be far better spent in low-income communities.”
PROPOSITION 55 – High-earner tax
Extends 2012’s Proposition 30 for 12 more years, which increased personal income tax by one to three percent on earnings over $250,000. The revenue generated goes mainly toward education spending, along with funds allocated to Medi-Cal and other programs.
Support
The Sacramento Bee: “Schools are important. Children are the future. And the state can’t compete economically without an educated workforce. If there were even a faint hope that the Legislature might summon the political will to overhaul this state’s dysfunctional tax structure, we would not be endorsing the Proposition 55 extension.”
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Opposition
San Francisco Chronicle: “Proposition 55 represents another big patch for a precarious tax structure, and one big excuse for elected officials to continue avoiding a comprehensive tax reform that actually could allow sustainable investments in our schools and other priorities. Voters should reject it.”
PROPOSITION 56 – Tobacco tax
Increases cigarette tax by $2 per pack and taxes other tobacco products similarly. The tax would generate more than $1 billion annually, the majority of which would go to Medi-Cal.
Support
The Sacramento Bee: “This tax will move California nearer to a complete shunning of this scourge of habit, which, if we’re lucky, will someday generate no tax revenue at all.”
Opposition
Los Angeles Daily News: “While there might be justification to raise the tax, this isn’t the right way to do it. A tobacco tax should be geared toward reducing the harms of tobacco use, not bailing out the state from having to discuss complicated issues.”
PROPOSITION 61 – Prescription drugs
Prevents the state from purchasing prescription drugs at a higher price than the United States Department of Veterans Affairs pays. Could potentially save the state a large amount of money.
Support
San Francisco Examiner: “The measure would fight price gouging by big drug companies and expand access to life-saving medicine. The opposition has heavily outspent the proponents of this measure, and nearly every major newspaper in the state has backed Big Pharma on this issue. We do not follow them.”
Opposition
Sacramento Bee: “…Big Pharma could use a dose of its own medicine. But Proposition 61 is not the way to do that. The initiative comes with too many uncertainties and not enough guarantees that things won’t get worse. We’re loath to admit the industry is right when it says this is an all-too-simplistic solution to a complicated issue.”
PROPOSITION 63 – Gun control
Creates stricter requirements for purchasing ammunition, prohibits ownership of large-capacity ammunition magazines and creates procedures for enforcement of gun control laws. The new regulations would result in increased costs to law enforcement and the justice system.
Support
Los Angeles Times: “Now, with Proposition 63, voters have the opportunity to impose additional restrictions. Despite a few niggling concerns, we encourage a ‘yes’ vote on Proposition 63 to send a loud and clear message to the pro-gun lobby that California voters want more, not fewer, limits on access to firearms.”
Opposition
Arguments from the official voter information guide: “Prop. 63 is overwhelmingly opposed by the law enforcement community and civil rights groups because it will burden law abiding citizens without keeping violent criminals and terrorists from accessing firearms and ammunition.”
PROPOSITION 64 – Legalizing marijuana
Legalizes the sale of marijuana to adults 21 and older. Sets state taxes on the sale of marijuana and establishes state standards for products containing marijuana. Could produce over $1 billion in revenue annually and reduce the costs of enforcing marijuana-related crimes.
Support
Los Angeles Times: “On balance, the proposition deserves a ‘yes’ vote. It is ultimately better for public health, for law and order and for society if marijuana is a legal, regulated and controlled product for adults. Proposition 64 — while not perfect — offers a logical, pragmatic approach to legalization that also would give lawmakers and regulators the flexibility to change the law to address the inevitable unintended consequences.”
Opposition
Sacramento Bee: “…Once approved, laws adopted by initiative are all but impossible to roll back without going back to the electorate. For all the spin by backers about how carefully they wrote Proposition 64, the initiative is not fully baked.”
PROPOSITIONS 65 & 67 – Plastic bags
Proposition 67 keeps the distribution of plastic bags by grocery stores prohibited and regulates the sale of paper bags. Proposition 65, a ballot initiative funded by plastic bag manufacturers, would redirect the revenue from bag fees to a new state fund.
Support for 67, Opposition to 65
Sacramento Bee: “They’re tricky, and three out of four possible votes on the two would kill or cripple California’s bag ban. So Californians must pay attention and quash this cynical effort. Here’s the shortcut: Vote ‘no’ on Proposition 65 and ‘yes’ on Proposition 67. Got it? ‘No’ on the first plastic bag measure, then ‘yes’ on the second one.”
Opposition to 67, Support for 65
Arguments from the official voter information guide: “Proposition 65 dedicates the bag fees to environmental projects like drought relief, beach clean-up and litter removal,” “Proposition 67 will grow profits for grocery stores by up to $300 million a year. Big grocery store chains get to keep all of the tax revenue.”
By: Ma Eliza Caliolio, Maxfield Morris and Corey Browning