A Guide to California’s Ballot Measures
Californians are facing decisions on 11 statewide ballot propositions in November 2018. The Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College produced this online “Video Voter” series to give voters an objective, easy-to-understand guide to these propositions. In brief 2-3 minute videos, we present each measure’s basic purpose, major supporters and opponents, and arguments pro and con. We hope these videos help you make informed voting decisions.
Subtitles are available for each video in English and Spanish.
To access the subtitles, click on the YouTube video, click on “settings” and select “subtitles” either in English or Spanish.
List of Videos
Proposition 1: Housing Bonds
Proposition 2: Mental Health Funds
Proposition 3: Water Bond
Proposition 4: Hospital Bonds
Proposition 5: Tax Assessment
Proposition 6: Gas Tax Repeal
Proposition 7: Daylight Saving
Proposition 8: Dialysis Companies
Proposition 10: Rent Control
Proposition 11: Ambulance Employees
Proposition 12: Animal Confinement
Proposition 1: Veterans Affordable Housing Bonds
Overview
Proposition 1 would authorize $4 billion in general obligation bonds to fund veterans and affordable housing. (Researched and presented by Naseem Nazari ’21)
Proposition 2: Mental Health Funds
Overview
Proposition 2 would allow the state to use existing county mental health funds to pay for housing for people with mental illness who are homeless. (Researched and presented by Naseem Nazari ’21)
Proposition 3: Water Bond
Overview
Proposition 3 would authorize $8.9 billion in general obligation bonds for water infrastructure and environmental projects. (Researched and presented by William Frankel ’21)
Proposition 4: Children’s Hospital Bonds
Overview
Proposition 4 would authorize the state to borrow $1.5 billion in bonds for renovations, upgrades, and expansions of certain hospitals that treat children. (Researched and presented by Ben McAnally ’21)
Proposition 5: Transfer of Property Tax Basis
Overview
Proposition 5 would allow homeowners who are age 55 or older or severely disabled to transfer the tax assessments value of their prior home to their new home when they move. It expands existing rules to cover all homeowners over age 55 and removes certain geographic restrictions. (Researched and presented by William Frankel ’21)
Proposition 6: Repeal Gas Tax Increase
Overview
Proposition 6 would require the Legislature gain majority approval from California voters for any taxes on car gas, diesel fuel, or highway use prior to their enactment. It would also eliminate an increase in the gasoline and diesel taxes that were enacted by the Legislature in 2017 and would require retroactive voter approval for those taxes. (Researched and resented by Zach Wong’19)
Proposition 7: Daylight Saving Time
Overview
Proposition 7 would repeal a 1949 ballot initiative that established seasonal Daylight Saving Time (DST) in California. This measure would potentially create a pathway for year-round DST by allowing the state legislature, pending approval by the federal government, to decide how the state sets its clocks. (Researched and presented by Bryn Miller ’19)
Proposition 8: Limit on Dialysis Clinic Revenue
Overview
Proposition 8 would use a formula to limit revenues of kidney dialysis clinics and could require clinics to pay rebates to insurance providers or other parties that pay for dialysis. (Researched and presented by Ben McAnally ’21)
Proposition 10: Rent Control
Overview
Proposition 10 would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995 and thus remove current limits on the kinds of rent control laws cities and counties can enact. (Researched and presented by Zach Wong ’19)
Proposition 11: Ambulance Employees
Overview
Proposition 11 would allow private ambulance providers to continue their current practice of requiring workers to remain on-call during meal and rest breaks, and provide them additional benefits for doing so, including being paid during breaks, as well as compensation if a break is interrupted. It would also provide for additional training and mental health coverage. (Researched and presented by Alec Lopata ’19)
Proposition 12: Farm Animal Confinement
Overview
Proposition 12 would impose new minimum requirements on farmers to provide more space for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and calves raised for veal. It would ban the sale of meat and eggs from animals confined in ways that do not meet those requirements. (Researched and presented by Melia Wong ’19)