California voters overwhelmingly approved a measure Tuesday aimed at reversing the course of progressive criminal justice reform, cracking down on theft crimes and the use of the deadly drug fentanyl.
Proposition 36 reforms a law approved a decade ago that reduced some crimes to misdemeanors and was seen as an important step in California’s attempt to end tough-on-crime policies of the past.
Support for Proposition 36 comes amid growing concerns about crime, homelessness and drug use in the state, an issue seized upon by Republicans and some big-city Democratic mayors in the 2024 elections .
“For more than a decade, California voters have urged state leaders to reduce excessive incarceration and unnecessary spending on prisons and increase investments in programs proven to prevent crime in the first place and stop crime cycles through rehabilitation,” said Anthony York, a spokesman for the No on 36 campaign. “The broad coalition of organizations that opposed Proposition 36 will continue to advocate for reform smart, efficient criminal justice and new security solutions that work for all communities.”
Californians also voted Tuesday to approve Proposition 3, eliminating the last vestiges of Proposition 8, the measure approved by voters in 2008 that banned same-sex marriage and was later declared unconstitutional.
The measure repeals the outdated clause and enshrines marriage as a “fundamental right” for all — a precaution that its supporters, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, said was necessary in the face of potential Supreme Court rulings by a conservative majority of justices appointed by former President Trump.
Proposition 32, a statewide ballot initiative to raise California’s current $16 minimum wage by $2 for all employees by 2026, appeared to be in a closer race but was headed toward failure.
The measure received support from labor unions and anti-poverty advocates, but faced opposition from influential business interests.
Proposition 36 was by far the highest-profile measure, with millions raised by both sides and so politically sensitive that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, a former California attorney general, refused to say whether she supported it .
Opinion polls leading up to Tuesday’s election showed strong voter support for Proposition 36 despite warnings from Newsom and Democratic leaders in the California Legislature, who urged voters to take a cautious approach to against the ballot measure, saying it would wipe out state savings allocated for anti-voter fighting. -recidivism programs and a dramatic increase in the prison population.
Support for Proposition 36 has alarmed criminal justice advocates, who have argued that Proposition 47 helps reduce incarceration and promotes reform, while critics say it contributes to rising prison rates. crime in the state.
Supporters of the measure said Tuesday’s results “reflect Californians’ strong desire to create safer communities.”
California voters also weighed in on proposals that would affect the state’s response to climate change, rents and more. This story will be updated as vote tallies become available.
Proposition 2
The bond measure would authorize the state to borrow $10 billion to upgrade elementary and secondary schools and community colleges. The funding is to be used to repair dilapidated school buildings and to upgrade libraries, heating and cooling systems and high-speed internet.
Money from the last successful school bond, passed by voters in 2016, has been spent, and school districts are reporting aging buildings, dangerous mold and leaky roofs.
Early poll results Tuesday showed a majority of voters support the measure.
Proposition 4
The bond measure would authorize the state to borrow $10 billion to help finance the response to climate-related disasters such as drought, flooding and extreme heat. This would also help ensure clean drinking water. This is the largest investment in fighting climate change in California history.
The bond would also be allocated to ensure safe drinking water and protection against wildfires. California taxpayers would repay the bond with interest, with the estimated cost being 400 million dollars per year for the next 40 years, or $16 billion, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office in Sacramento.
Initial poll results showed that a majority of voters support the measure.
Proposition 5
The measure would make it easier for local governments to approve bonds and tax measures funding affordable housing and certain public infrastructure. Proposition 5 lowers the voting threshold required to approve these measures from a two-thirds supermajority to 55 percent.
The new threshold would apply to local measures impacting low-income housing, road and transit expansion, parks and wildfire resilience.
Early poll results showed a majority of voters opposed the measure.
Proposition 6
The measure would prohibit involuntary servitude and end mandatory work requirements for state prisoners. The proposed constitutional amendment is part of a program of reparations for the descendants of African Americans enslaved in the United States.
California is one of eight states that still allows involuntary servitude as a criminal sanction. Proposition 6 would end work mandates for state prisoners, instead creating voluntary work programs.
Early poll results showed a majority of voters opposed the measure.
Proposition 33
California voters rejected the measure, which would have allowed cities and counties to adopt rent controls. Proposition 33 would have repealed a 1995 law called the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which generally prohibits local governments from limiting rental rates set by landlords.
The measure would have given local jurisdictions more power to regulate rents and allowed them to impose price caps.
Proposition 34
The measure would require health care providers to spend most of the revenue they earn from federal prescription drug discount programs on direct patient care.
This only applies to a very specific subset of doctors who spent more than $100 million over a decade on “anything other than direct patient care.”
Early poll results showed the measure had a modest lead. .
Proposition 35
California voters approved a measure to provide permanent funding for Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid.
Currently, a tax on managed health insurance plans that fund the program is set to expire in 2026.
