California Proposition 7, Revisions to State Constitution’s Declaration of Rights Amendment (1974)

California Proposition 7
Election date November 5, 1974
Topic Constitutional rights and Constitutional wording changes
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

California Proposition 7 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in California on November 5, 1974. It was approved.

A “yes” vote supported amending the California Constitution's Declaration of Rights (Article I) to: repeal inoperative provisions that conflicted with federal law; stated that the rights guaranteed by the California Constitution are independent of those in the U.S. Constitution; expanded rights for criminal defendants; revised eminent domain rules; expanded protection from sex-based discrimination to include race, creed, color, and national or ethnic origin, and expanded that protection to employment rather than entry into a business or profession.

A “no” vote opposed amending the California Constitution's Declaration of Rights (Article I).

Election results

California Proposition 7
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		3,567,443	70.46%
No		1,495,929	29.54%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 7 was as follows:

“

Declaration of Rights. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

Reorganizes and substantively amends various provisions of Article I and relocates portions of Articles IV and XX of California Constitution. Amendments include, among others, right to interpreter at state expense for criminal defendant who cannot understand English, provision that court may grant release on own recognizance, provision that property rights of noncitizens to be the same as for citizens, and revision of eminent domain provisions. Deletes, among others, provisions respecting criminal libel actions, provisions regarding right to sell or rent real property, provisions concerning acquisition of lands for public improvements. Financial impact: No increase in government costs.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the California Constitution

A two-thirds vote was needed in each chamber of the California State Legislature to refer the constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.

See also

1974 Measures

• 1974 Measures
• Sex and gender issues on the ballot
• Race and ethnicity issues on the ballot
• Constitutional rights on the ballot
• Constitutional wording changes on the ballot
• State judiciary on the ballot
• Criminal trials on the ballot
• Eminent domain policy on the ballot
• 1974 legislative sessions

California

• California ballot measures
• California ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• California Voter Guide (November 1974)