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.