This November California voters won’t just cast votes for the next president or congressman, they will also determine the fate of 10 ballot propositions, covering topics from school funding to limiting forced labor in prisons.
A ballot proposition is a referendum or an initiative measure submitted to the electorate to vote directly on. Since 1911, California’s system of direct democracy has given citizens the ability to weigh in on key policy issues.
On Monday, Sept. 30 the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol hosted the statewide publication CalMatters for “Props in a Minute” a “VotingMatters” event at Bodevi Wine & Espresso Bar in the City of San Fernando.
Dan Hu, partnerships manager at CalMatters, broke down, analyzed and answered questions about this year’s ballot propositions for nearly 30 San Fernando Valley residents and business owners.
“We’ll be talking about politics today. We’ll be talking about the ballot propositions,” said Hu. “And these local issues matter to a lot of people. Sometimes these issues will impact your life more than the national election.”
Three important ballot measures were discussed during the event: Prop 32, which proposes raising the state minimum wage; Prop 33, which aims to expand local government’s ability to impose rent control; and Prop 36, which would reclassify some misdemeanor theft and drug crimes as felonies.
Prop 32: Minimum Wage
When Hu asked the room to raise their hands if they would vote yes on Proposition 32, nearly the entire room’s hands shot up in the air.
“For me, it would be a yes,” said San Fernando resident Melisa Walk. “As someone who has worked minimum wage jobs, it’s always really helpful to be able to earn a higher wage.”
Prop 32 would raise California’s minimum wage from $16 an hour to $17 for the rest of 2024, and up to $18 starting in January 2025. For small businesses with 25 or fewer employees, the rates would be at least $17 starting in 2025, and $18 in 2026. The wage would then be adjusted based on inflation beginning in 2027.
Los Angeles County already has a minimum wage of $17.27 an hour, so raising the minimum wage may be less impactful here than in rural communities across the state.
“In one of the [Props in a Minute] events I did in South Lake Tahoe, there were business owners in the room that raised their hand and said, if this passes, they will have to lay off people [if Prop 32 passes]. They’ll have to cut hours,” said Hu.
He posed the question, “Would we want a blanket policy for a state this large?” if raising minimum wage rates may work in some places, but not others.
A yes vote on Prop 32 would raise the minimum wage, while a no vote would keep the state’s minimum wage at $16.
If voters pass the ballot measure, California will have the highest minimum wage in the nation.
Prop 33: Rent Control
Attendees were more divided on Proposition 33 – with many saying they would vote no, a few voting yes, and a handful still undecided.
Many cities such as LA, enforce rent control policies, limiting the amount a landlord can raise the rent each year.
However, for the last 30 years through a law known as Costa-Hawkins, California has imposed limits on those limits. Under current law, landlords can set new rental rates when a tenant moves out, and local governments cannot impose rent control on single-family homes or apartments built after 1995.
Prop 33 would overturn Costa-Hawkins, allowing cities to impose rent control measures on any type of housing.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, Nearly 30% of California renters spend more than half their income on rent. While many renters support rent control for this reason, property owners and landlords are typically opposed, claiming it can drastically impact their business.
“There’s a lot of things to consider in this particular situation, but specifically in regards to valuation and property tax, there’s the potential for loss of profit,” said Julian Ruelas, a City of San Fernando resident who works for a real estate finance and advisory service. “Let’s be honest, an owner isn’t going to be an owner unless there’s some profit.”
Two previous ballot measure attempts to overturn Costa-Hawkins were unsuccessful in 2018 and 2020.
Walk reminded the room that “no rent control is being determined or set into place by this prop. It’s simply pushing [the decision] down to the city [level].”
A yes vote removes the limits on cities’ ability to enforce rent control laws, while a no vote upholds the current Costa-Hawkins law.
Prop 36: Crime
The room was most unsure about proposition 36 – there was an even split between those in favor and those against, with many still undecided.
“[Now], you steal something and you get arrested, they slap your hand and you’re gone. You get a citation,” said San Fernando resident Mike Remenih, who hopes the measure will bring about stronger penalties for crimes like theft.
Prop 36 aims to undo what Prop 47 did ten years ago – attempted to reduce California’s prison overcrowding by making theft and drug crimes misdemeanor offenses.
This measure would reclassify some misdemeanor theft and drug crimes as felonies. It also would create a “treatment-mandated felony,” where people could complete drug treatment instead of going to prison. If treatment is rejected or not completed, the person could be incarcerated.
Remenih believes that people committing petty crimes know they can “go into the store and swipe anything under $900 and probably get away with it” without any “real ramifications.” He added that “the police department has lost a lot of control over these smash and grabs.”
(Carlin Stiehl for CalMatters)
(Carlin Stiehl for CalMatters)
(Carlin Stiehl for CalMatters)
While some say that Prop 36 will help restore “law and order” by establishing harsher penalties, others think it will lead to overcrowded prisons and strip people of their rights.
“One of the biggest reasons why I would vote no on proposition 36 is because I don’t want to continue investing our tax dollars into the prison system,” said Teodora Reyes, adding that instead of investing in prisons, she wants to see more investment in mental health systems.
Adrianna Villela, a law student, pointed out that felonies and misdemeanors are very different offenses, and that a felony charge can ruin someone’s life. Currently, someone serving a prison sentence for a felony cannot register to vote.
Villela added that she works with people who were juveniles when charged with possession of marijuana, but are still incarcerated 20 years later at the age of 40.
A yes vote on Prop 36 would reclassify some misdemeanor theft and drug crimes as felonies, while a no vote upholds the current law.
Staying Informed
Hu showed attendees how to plug their addresses into the CalMatters 2024 voter guide, which provides a full breakdown of what is on their local ballot. The resource shows the federal, state and local candidates, all 10 ballot propositions and local measures.
CalMatters summarizes each proposition and provides background on how it made its way to the ballot. Voters can also watch a one-minute video explainer, take a quiz about the initiative and see who has endorsed and funded the prop.
Zayurit Gordillo-Lopez, who was having coffee and decided to stay for the event, said she enjoyed that the information was nonpartisan and communicated in a simplified form.
“I think when someone can simplify it to you in terms that you understand, it just makes it so much easier to try to make an opinion of your own,” said Gordillo-Lopez.
Although Gordillo-Lopez is registered in the DACA program and unable to vote, she found the information incredibly useful, especially for her work as the social media director for the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats.
“I hate hearing the phrase like, my vote doesn’t matter,” said Gordillo-Lopez. “Your vote is your voice, and if you don’t use it, then why have a voice?
“When you vote, you’re changing not just your own life. You’re changing a whole population, a whole generation,” she continued. “Whether you vote left-wing or right-wing, I just encourage people to vote.”
For more information about the propositions and everything else on the ballot this November visit the CalMatters Voter Guide