November 2024 General Election Statewide Ballot Measures
By Ivy Brittain, NCWA Legislative Affairs Director
During the March 5 Primary Election earlier this year, voters were presented with only one statewide proposition on their ballots—Proposition 1. Proposition 1, highly championed by Governor Newsom, amends California’s Mental Health Services Act and creates a $6.38 billion general obligation bond. The bond funds behavioral health treatment and residential facilities and supportive housing for veterans and individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness with behavioral health challenges. Despite the Governor’s highly visible campaign in favor of Proposition 1 and the favorable polling results, the measure narrowly passed. This may highlight California’s voters growing concerns over the state’s economy and fiscal climate.
Now, as absentee ballots are mailed out and the November 5 General Election date quickly approaches, voters should be prepared to cast a vote on ten statewide ballot propositions including two additional general obligation bonds. Below is a summary of the 2024 November General Election ballot measures:
Proposition 2: School bond
Put on the ballot by the Legislature, Proposition 2 authorizes $10 billion in general obligation bonds for repair, upgrade, and construction of facilities at K–12 public schools (including charter schools), community colleges, and career technical education programs, including for improvement of health and safety conditions and classroom upgrades. The passage of the bond would require annual audits.
- Fiscal Impact: Increased state costs of about $500 million annually for 35 years to repay the bond.
- Supporters: California Teachers Association; California School Nurses Organization; Community College League of California
- Opponents: Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Proposition 3: Reaffirm the right of same-sex couples to marry.
Put on the ballot by the Legislature, Proposition 3 amends the California Constitution to recognize fundamental right to marry, regardless of sex or race. Removes language in California Constitution stating that marriage is only between a man and a woman.
- Fiscal Impact: No change in revenues or costs for state and local governments
- Supporters: Sierra Pacific Synod of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Dolores Huerta Foundation; Equality California
- Opponents: Jonathan Keller, California Family Council; Rev. Tanner DiBella
Proposition 4: Climate bond
Put on the ballot by the Legislature, Proposition 4 authorizes $10 billion in general obligation bonds for water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands. The passage of the bond would require annual audits.
- Fiscal Impact: Increased state costs of about $400 million annually for 40 years to repay the bond.
- Supporters: Clean Water Action; CALFIRE Firefighters; National Wildlife Federation; The Nature Conservancy; Regional Water Authority
- Opponents: Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
For NCWA’s statement on Proposition 4, see here.
Proposition 5: Lower voter approval requirements for local housing and infrastructure bonds.
Put on the ballot by the Legislature, Proposition 5 allows approval of local infrastructure and housing bonds for low- and middle-income Californians with 55% vote.
- Fiscal Impact: Increased local borrowing to fund affordable housing, supportive housing, and public infrastructure. The amount would depend on decisions by local governments and voters. Borrowing would be repaid with higher property taxes.
- Supporters: California Professional Firefighters; League of Women Voters of California; Habitat for Humanity California
- Opponents: California Taxpayers Association; California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce; Women Veterans Alliance
Proposition 6: Limit forced labor in state prisons.
Put in the ballot by the Legislature, Proposition 6 amends the California Constitution to remove current provision that allows jails and prisons to impose involuntary servitude to punish crime (i.e., forcing incarcerated persons to work).
- Fiscal Impact: Potential increase or decrease in state and local costs, depending on how work for people in state prison and county jail changes. Any effect likely would not exceed the tens of millions of dollars annually.
- Supporters: Assemblymember Lori Wilson
- Opponents: None submitted
Proposition 32: Raise the state minimum wage to $18 an hour.
Put on the ballot by petition signatures, Proposition 32 raises minimum wage as follows: For employers with 26 or more employees, to $17 immediately, $18 on January 1, 2025. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, to $17 on January 1, 2025, $18 on January 1, 2026.
- Fiscal Impact: State and local government costs could increase or decrease by up to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. State and local revenues likely would decrease by no more than a few hundred million dollars annually.
- Supporters: None submitted
- Opponents: California Chamber of Commerce; California Restaurant Association; California Grocers Association
Proposition 33: Allow local governments to impose rent controls.
Put on the ballot by petition signatures, Proposition 33 repeals Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, which currently prohibits local ordinances limiting initial residential rental rates for new tenants or rent increases for existing tenants in certain residential properties.
- Fiscal Impact: Reduction in local property tax revenues of at least tens of millions of dollars annually due to likely expansion of rent control in some communities.
- Supporters: CA Nurses Assoc.; CA Alliance for Retired Americans; Mental Health Advocacy; Coalition for Economic Survival; TenantsTogether
- Opponents: California Council for Affordable Housing; Women Veterans Alliance; California Chamber of Commerce
Proposition 34: Require certain health providers to use nearly all revenue from a federal prescription drug program on patient care.
Put on the ballot by petition signatures, Proposition 34 requires certain providers to spend 98% of revenues from federal discount prescription drug program on direct patient care. Authorizes statewide negotiation of Medi-Cal drug prices.
- Fiscal Impact: Increased state costs, likely in the millions of dollars annually, to enforce new rules on certain health care entities. Affected entities would pay fees to cover these costs.
- Supporters: The ALS Association; California Chronic Care Coalition; Latino Heritage Los Angeles
- Opponents: National Org. for Women; Consumer Watchdog; Coalition for Economic Survival; AIDS Healthcare Foundation; Dolores Huerta
Proposition 35: Make permanent a tax on managed health care insurance plans.
Put on the ballot by petition signatures, Proposition 35 makes permanent the existing tax on managed health care insurance plans, which, if approved by the federal government, provides revenues to pay for Medi-Cal health care services.
- Fiscal Impact: Short-term state costs between roughly $1 billion and $2 billion annually to increase funding for certain health programs. Total funding increase between roughly $2 billion to $5 billion annually. Unknown long-term fiscal effects.
- Supporters: Planned Parenthood Affiliates of CA; American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists; American Academy of Pediatrics, CA
- Opponents: None submitted
Proposition 36: Increase penalties for theft and drug trafficking.
Put on the ballot by petition signatures, Proposition 36 allows felony charges for possessing certain drugs and for thefts under $950, if defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions.
- Fiscal Impact: State criminal justice costs likely ranging from several tens of millions of dollars to the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Local criminal justice costs likely in the tens of millions of dollars annually.
- Supporters: Crime Victims United of California; California District Attorneys Association; Family Business Association of California
- Opponents: Diana Becton, District Attorney Contra Costa County; Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice
For additional information regarding California’s statewide ballot measures, see the Official Voter Information Guide here.
For more background on each proposition, including additional political context, see CalMatters’ article on the November Ballot here.
