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California Proposition 26, Simple Majority Vote for Local School Bonds and Charter School Facilities Initiative (March 2000)
| California Proposition 26 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Ballot measure process and Ballot measure supermajority requirements |
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| Status |
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| Type Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute |
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California Proposition 26 was on the ballot as a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute in California on March 7, 2000. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported (a) lowering the vote requirement for certain local school bond questions from a two-thirds (66.67%) supermajority vote to a simple majority (50%+1) vote and (b) requiring every K-12 school district to provide for charter school facilities "sufficient to accommodate the charter school’s students." |
A "no" vote opposed (a) lowering the vote requirement for certain local school bond questions to a simple majority (50%+1) vote, thereby keeping the two-thirds (66.67%) supermajority vote requirement and (b) requiring every K-12 school district to provide for charter school facilities "sufficient to accommodate the charter school’s students." |
Election results
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California Proposition 26 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 3,521,327 | 48.73% | ||
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3,704,687 | 51.27% | ||
Overview
Proposition 26 would have amended the California Constitution to lower the vote requirement for passage of local school bonds from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority vote.
The local school bond requirement would have applied only if the bond measure presented to voters included all of the following:[1]
- A requirement that bond funds could be used only for constructing, rehabilitating, or equipping school facilities, or for acquiring or leasing real property for school facilities;
- A specific list of school projects to be funded, with certification from the school board that it evaluated safety, class size reduction, and information technology needs in creating the list; and
- A requirement that the school board conduct annual, independent financial and performance audits until all bond funds are spent, to ensure the funds are used solely for the projects listed in the measure.
Proposition 26 also would have changed California law to require every K–12 school district to provide facilities that are sufficient to accommodate a charter school’s students. While each district would have been required to make space available for charter schools, they would not have been required to use their general discretionary funds to do so. Specifically, Proposition 26 would have provided that:[1]
- Charter school facilities must be reasonably equivalent to those of district schools that the students would otherwise attend;
- School districts could charge a fee to charter schools for use of the facilities; and
- School districts could deny facilities to charter schools with fewer than 80 current or projected students.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition 26 was as follows:
| “ | School Facilities. Local Majority Vote. Bonds, Taxex. Initiative constitutional amendment and statute. | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
• Authorizes school, community college districts, and county education offices that evaluate safety, class size, information technology needs to issue bonds for construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities if approved by majority of applicable jurisdiction’s voters. • New accountability requirements include annual performance, financial audits. • Prohibits use of bonds for salaries or other school operating expenses. • Requires that facilities be available to public charter schools. • Authorizes property taxes higher than existing 1% limit by majority vote, rather than two-thirds currently required, as necessary to pay the bonds | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
Unions
Organizations
- AARP California
- California Business Roundtable
- California Chamber of Commerce
- California State PTA
- Congress of California Seniors
- League of Women Voters of California
Arguments
Opposition
Opponents
Organizations
Arguments
Path to the ballot
In California, the number of signatures required for a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast at the preceding gubernatorial election. For initiated amendments filed in 2000, at least valid signatures were required.
See also
External links
Footnotes
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State of California Sacramento (capital) |
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