OK, with 13% counted, some likely outcomes
Prop 19--legalize marijuana. yes 44.1% no 55.9%. So pretty much a gonner. ANd a crying shame too. CA could have taken a moderate step to bring marijuana use out into the light and see if people can be at least as responsible with it as they are with booze. I expect they would be, and CA was the place to try it. Still is.
Prop 20--have a citizen commission instead of legislature draw Congressional districts. Yes 64.8% No 35.2. So it almost certainly passes. Good deal. A big blow to gerrymandering, and more competitive races in future elections are likely to come of this.
Prop 21--vehicle tax to fund parks. No 59.8% Yes 40.2%. A bad idea going down. A car tax for parks--seriously? How desperate can Sacramento get for our money?
Prop 22--Prevent state from withholding local funds when they want to spend them at the state level instead. Yes 64.4% No 35.6% Another step in forcing state government to live within its means.
Prop 23--Suspend the state's gigantic greenhouse gas reduction law. No 59.5% Yes 40.5% A blow to the state's economy and a missed chance to redirect the state's approach to GHG reductions towards more cost-effective means.
Prop 24--Repeals some business tax cuts. No 59.5% Yes 40.1% Whaddya know, even in CA, tax increases aren't flying.
Prop 25--Simple majority to pass state budget. Yes 54.9% No 45.1% OH, my head! Well, the outcome is not as certain here as those above. But if this holds, Katie bar the door. A simple majority can spend what it wants and put whatever tax increases it wants in the budget. We'll have kissed our super-majority protection against stupidity good bye.
Prop 26--2/3 vote requirements for "fee" increases. Yes 54.8% No 45.2% How odd, by almost identical inverse proportions to voting away the super-majority requirement for a budget, people vote to strengthen the super-majority requirement for fee (aka tax) increases. Sigh.
Prop 27--Eliminate redistricting commission and put redistricting back to the legislature. No 60.7% Yes 39.3% As with Prop 20, people have caught on that politicians don't design districts in the voter's interests, but in their own.
