California 2008 ballot propositions
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Twenty-one (21) statewide ballot propositions were on the 2008 ballot in California.
Twelve were on the November 4, 2008 ballot, in addition to 380 local ballot measures.[1] Seven of the twelve November propositions were approved by voters. Cumulative spending on the November statewide ballot proposition campaigns was about $227 million.[2]
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The November general election was the third time Californians went to the polls in 2008 to vote on statewide ballot propositions. On February 5, in addition to voting on presidential contenders in the Republican and Democratic party primaries, voters considered four referenda about the tribal gaming compacts and three unsuccessful initatives, including another contender in the long-running term limits issue which began in 1990.
The June 3 ballot addressed eminent domain, with Prop 98 losing in a landslide and Prop 99 coasting to a comfortable victory.
Altogether, twenty-one propositions were voted on in 2008:
- Fifteen were citizen-initiated measures. Six passed, nine failed.
- Two were legislative referrals. Both passed.
- Four were veto referenda. These passed.
On the ballot
February 5
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CICA | Proposition 91 | Transportation | Transportation funding | 
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| CICA/SS | Proposition 92 | Education | Community College funding |
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| CICA | Proposition 93 | Term limits | Soften term limits |
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| VR | Proposition 94 | Gambling | Adds new slot machines, gives higher % of gambling revenues to state government | 
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| VR | Proposition 95 | Gambling | Adds new slot machines, gives higher % of gambling revenues to state government |
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| VR | Proposition 96 | Gambling | Adds new slot machines, gives higher % of gambling revenues to state government |
|
| VR | Proposition 97 | Gambling | Adds new slot machines, gives higher % of gambling revenues to state government |
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June 3
- See June 3, 2008 ballot measures in California for local ballot measures (cities, counties, school districts).
- Ballotpedia's complete list of June 3 election results.
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CICA | Proposition 98 | Eminent domain | Bar state from condemning or damaging private property for private uses |
|
| CICA | Proposition 99 | Eminent domain | Bar gov't from using eminent domain to acquire an owner-occupied residence |
|
November 4
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LBM | Proposition 1A | Bonds | $9.95 billion in bonds for high-speed rail |
|
| CISS | Proposition 2 | Animal rights | Regulations on animal confinement practices |
|
| CISS | Proposition 3 | Bonds | $980 million in bonds for children’s hospitals. |
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| CICA | Proposition 4 | Abortion | Waiting period and parental notification before minors obtain abortions |
|
| CISS | Proposition 5 | Law enforcement | Treatment for youth; rehab and shorter parole for nonviolent adult drug offenders |
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| CISS | Proposition 6 | Law enforcement | Increase crime prevention programs, harsher penalties on crime |
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| CISS | Proposition 7 | Environment | Promotes use of alternative fuels |
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| CICA | Proposition 8 | Marriage | Eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry |
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| CICA/SS | Proposition 9 | Law enforcement | Laws governing treatment crime victims and parole procedures |
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| CISS | Proposition 10 | Environment | $5 billion in bonds for alternative fuels |
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| CICA/SS | Proposition 11 | Redistricting | Independent commission to draw legislative district boundaries |
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| LBM | Proposition 12 | Bonds | $900 million in bonds for home, farm purchasing assistance for vets |
|
Role of billionaires
Four men who are on the list of Forbes 400 richest Americans were the primary sponsors of five of the twelve propositions on the November ballot:
- George Soros, primary sponsor of Proposition 5.
- Henry Nicholas, primary sponsor of Proposition 6 and Proposition 9.
- Peter Sperling, primary sponsor of Proposition 7.
- Boone Pickens, primary sponsor of Proposition 10.[3]
Only one of the five ballot propositions that was primarily sponsored by a billionaire passed--Proposition 9.
Cost of signatures
Didn't make ballot
| Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking Water Bond Act | Bonds | $6,835,000,000 ($6.835 billion) in bonds for water projects |
| College Affordability Act | Education | Freeze mandatory fees paid by undergraduates for attending state universities for 5 years |
| Teacher Recruitment | Education | School districts prohibited from paying any employee a salary higher than that of highest-paid classroom teacher. |
| Protect Marriage | Marriage | Defines marriage as between one man and one woman |
| Eminent Domain Protection | Eminent domain | Restricts the use of eminent domain |
| Water Storage & Reliability | Bond issue | $11,690,000,000 ($11.69 billion) bond issue for water projects |
| Human Embryo Research | Stem cells | Bans "destructive human embryo research" |
| Human Cloning Ban | Stem cells | Bans human cloning |
| Abortion restrictions | Abortion | Ban on abortions at viability |
| Fair Districts Act | Elections | State legislative district boundary-drawing reforms |
| Healthcare for Veterans | Health care | Should U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs fully fund health care for vets? |
| Health Security | Health care | Establishes a California Health Security Plan |
| Voter Restoration Act | Election reform | State legislative district boundary-drawing reforms |
| Prisoner Rehabilitation | Law enforcement | Allows inmates more access to educational, treatment and visitation programs |
| Dietary Supplement Expense | Taxes | Medical expense deduction on state income tax for dietary supplements and special foods. |
| Repeals marijuana penalties | Marijuana | Decriminalizes marijuana |
| Tangible Ballots | Elections | Votes on a direct-recording electronic device must result in a tangible ballot |
| Prohibits sterilization | Animal rights | Forbids sterilization of animals or humans |
| Domestic Partnerships | Marriage | Only marriage between one man and one woman is recognized |
| Property Ownership | Property rights | Forbids local governments from denying land ownership |
| Animals are Property | Animal rights | Defines animals as property |
| Prohibition of Identification Devices | Animal rights | Prohibits placing identification devices under animal or human skin |
| Animal license fees | Animal rights | Forbids local governments from charging more than $50 for an animal license |
| Stray and relinguished animals | Animal rights | Establishes statewide standards for animal euthansia at shelters |
| Right to Health | Health care | Declares that health is a fundamental constitutional right |
| Health insurance | Health care | Health insurance for children |
| Taxpayer Protection Act | Elections and campaigns | Would prohibit taxpayer-funded lobbying |
| Political Party Nomination | Elections | Select presidential electors by proportional plurality vote if other states do, too |
| Corporate Crimes | Business regulation | Require business execs to report corporate crimes in writing |
| Electoral College Reform | Elections | Require parties to nominate a presidential elector from each congressional district |
| National Popular Vote Act | Elections | Presidential election would be based on popular vote |
| Healthy Californians Act | Health care | Would add "and affordable health care" to the bill of rights |
| Class Action Reform Act | Judicial reform | Reform class action regulations |
| Non-Profit Plaintiffs Act | Judicial reform | Allow certain non-profits to be plaintiffs in class-action lawsuits |
| Shareholder Approval of Compensation | Business regulation | If a public company does business in California, its shareholders must approve the compensation plans for the top 10 highest paid executives |
| Corporate Accountability Act | Business regulation | Compensate the public for the harm inflicted by corporate fraud |
| Prison Population Reduction Act | Law enforcement | Reduce prison population through work time credit and resentencing |
| Prisoner Rights Act | Law enforcement | Rehabilitation education for prisoners |
| Nuclear Energy Regulations | Nuclear power | Repeals existing restrictions on state approval of construction of nuclear power plants |
| Redistricting Proposal | Redistricting | Establishes Citizens Redistricting Commission |
| Wealth Tax | Taxes | Imposes 45% tax on value of property exceeding $40 million |
| Child Abuse Reporting | Welfare | To requiring training on recognizing child abuse and neglect to all those that are required to report it by law |
| Redistricting Proposal | Redistricting | Establishes Citizens Redistricting Commission |
| Worker's Compensation | Health care | Allows employees to choose medical treatment centers without company approval when injured "because of" work |
| Legislature Reimbursement | Admin of gov't | Restricts reimbursements to travel expenses. Would reduces expenses by $4.5 million annually |
| Lobbying Gifts | Elections | Bans legislatures from accepting gift from lobbyists or trade associations |
| Class Action Lawsuits | Judiciary | |
| Corporate Crime Reporting | Business regulation | |
| Treatment of Farm Animals | Animal rights | Enclosed animals must be able to fully extend their limbs or wings, lie down, stand up, and turn around. |
| Internet Poker Statute | Gambling | Creates a state owned poker site |
| Limit on Marriage | Marriage | Defines marriage as between one man and one woman |
| Pension reform | Health care | Reduces pension and retirement health care benefits for all public employees hired after July 9th, 2009 |
| Personal Income Tax Abolishment | Taxes | Abolishes state personal income tax. Increases state sales and use tax by 5.5 percent. |
| Universal Health Care Reform | Health care | Would pass the Governor's plans for universal health care |
| Candidate Vote Requirement | Election Reform | Mandates a runoff election when no candidate in a state or federal election receives more than 50 percent of the total votes |
| Uninsured motorist | Law enforcement | Police officers who issue a citation for failure to provide proof of insurance must also remove the vehicle’s license plates |
External links
- Official Voter Information Guide February 5, 2008
- Official Voter Information Guide June 3, 2008
- Official Voter's Guide November 4, 2008
- PDF of the mailed February 5, 2008 voter guide for Propositions 91-93
- PDF of the mailed February 5, 2008 voter guide for Propositions 94-97
- PDF of the mailed June 3, 2008 voter guide
- PDF of the mailed November 4, 2008 voter guide
- Election returns: February 5, 2008
- Election returns: June 3, 2008
- Election returns: November 4, 2008
- California Voter Foundation: February 5, 2008 propositions
- California Voter Foundation: June 3, 2008 propositions
- California Voter Foundation: November 4, 2008 propositions
- Directory of California's 2008 state propositions on Smart Voter
Additional reading:
- Number nine, number nine, number nine, Los Angeles Times, June 6, 2008
- California initiatives likely to draw conservatives in November, Mercury News, June 4, 2008
- November voters to decide at least eleven ballot measures, Ventura County Star.
- State measures get official ballot numbers
- We have a proposition for you, Los Angeles Times editorial.
- Referendum process now being used by wealthy
- Fight over California ballot draws $72 million
- Breakdown of donations for California ballot measures
- California's ballot billions
- Props 5 and 8 will make waves nationally
- Swing State Project analysis of the California propositions
- Directory of 2008 California statewide propositions
- What you don't know about the Nov. 4 ballot measures can hurt you
- Stories behind the November ballot initiatives that you won't find in an official voter guide
- California proposition primer
- Fundraising breakdown for 12 Calif. measures
- Point/Counterpoint: State ballot propositions
- Economy, financial crisis crowd out other issues
- California ballot initiatives: A short analysis
- California propositions on the November 4 ballot
- More on ballot than presidential candidates
- Still deciding on California ballot propositions?
- A voter's guide for progressive Californians
References
- ↑ Sacramento Bee, "All the local ballot measures fit for a vote", October 16, 2008
- ↑ Associated Press, reprinted in Gay and Lesbian Times, "Calif. initiative campaigns cost $227 million", February 12, 2009
- ↑ Los Angeles, "Billionaires put their agendas to a vote", November 1, 2008
- ↑ The Cal-Access database lists two campaign committees as having registered in support of Proposition 92. One of these organizations ("Yes on 92! Students and Educators in Support") shows no expenditures of any kind. The other organization, "Yes on Proposition 92, Californians for Improving Community Colleges, a Coalition of Educators and Community College Organizations", shows one $38,000 expenditure to Arno Political Consultants. In our judgment, it is very unlikely that only $38,000 was spent collecting signatures for Proposition 92. It is more likely that there is a flaw in the database.
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