SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters decided on 10 ballot measures, including one that would make some non-violent crimes, such as shoplifting, felonies again, and another that would make the state’s minimum wage the highest in the nation.
Here’s a look at some of the most consequential proposals being put before voters:
Proposal 36
Frustrated by what they see as rampant retail crime, voters approved an initiative that would make shoplifting a crime for repeat offenders again and increase penalties for certain drug offenses, including those involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The tough-on-crime ballot measure also gives judges the power to order people with multiple drug offenses to seek treatment.
The measure partially reverses a progressive law passed by voters in 2014 that downgraded several non-violent crimes to misdemeanors, including theft under $950 and some drug offenses. The reversal reflects widespread anger among voters, who are increasingly placing the blame for homelessness and shoplifting on criminal justice reform and progressive prosecutors.
It is difficult to quantify California’s retail crime problem due to the lack of local data. But many point to videos of large groups of people stealing in plain sight, such as at a boarded-up Nike store in Los Angeles after the Dodgers won the World Series last week, as evidence of a crisis.
Supporters say the initiative is necessary to close legal loopholes that have made it difficult for law enforcement to punish shoplifters and drug dealers. The measure will also help the state tackle the homelessness and drug crises, they said.
“Over the past year it became clear to us that this is desperately needed for Californians,” said Anne Marie Schubert, co-chair of the coalition supporting the measure. “This is a resounding message that Californians are ready for safer communities.”
Opponents, including Democratic state leaders and social justice groups, said it will disproportionately lock up poor people and those with substance use problems rather than targeting leaders who hire large groups of people to steal goods for online resale. The initiative will also eliminate drug and mental health funding that comes from the savings from incarcerating fewer people.
“Voters wanted solutions, but they were sold a false promise,” said Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, which co-authored the 2014 law. “Now that this initiative is over and potentially threatens hundreds of millions of dollars to stabilize these programs, we will be a lot worse off than before.”
Proposal 32
This would increase the minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026, up from the current rate of $16 per hour for most people. It was still too early to call late Tuesday.
Fast food workers already received a raise this year to at least $20 an hour, and some health care workers now earn at least $23 an hour.
If approved, California would have the highest minimum wage statewide. In 2016, it became the first state to implement a minimum wage of $15 per hour. About 40 cities and counties already have a minimum wage higher than the national rate, and six of them will require a minimum wage of more than $18 per hour starting this year.
Hawaii passed a law in 2022 that will increase the minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2028.
Supporters of the measure in California estimate it would benefit two million workers, including hotel and grocery store workers. Opponents say this would raise costs, lead to higher taxes and push companies to cut jobs.
Proposal 4
It asks voters for permission to borrow $10 billion for various climate programs, which would be the state’s largest investment to date in the fight against climate change.
The bulk of the money, $3.8 billion, would go to improving drinking water systems and preparing for droughts and floods. Wildfire preparedness programs would receive $1.5 billion, while $1.2 billion would go toward combating sea level rise.
The remainder would be divided between parks and outdoor recreation programs; air quality; preparedness for extreme heat; protection of biodiversity; and sustainability of farms and ranches.
Supporters of the measure say it would help the state better prepare for a changing climate and the growing threat of wildfires, water pollution and extreme heat.
Opponents say the bond is “the most expensive way” to pay for programs that could be funded through the budget.
It would cost taxpayers about $16 billion to pay it off, in annual installments of $400 million.
Proposal 6
This would change the state constitution to ban forced labor in any form. The constitution currently prohibits it, except as punishment for crime. It was too early to make a call on Tuesday, but a similar measure was passed in neighboring Nevada.
That exemption has become a target of criminal justice advocates concerned about prison working conditions. Incarcerated people are often paid less than a dollar an hour to fight fires, clean cells and landscape cemeteries.
The initiative is included in a package of reparations proposals introduced by lawmakers as part of an effort to reconcile and provide redress for a history of racism and discrimination against Black Californians.
Several other states, including Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont, have passed constitutional amendments in recent years that eliminate exceptions to slavery and involuntary servitude.