Breaking down the propositions

From getting rid of daylight savings to allowing governmental rent control, there are 12 propositions on California’s upcoming midterm ballot. Proposition 9 called for the government to divide the state into three, but it was removed from the ballot. Voting yes on a proposition supports it and voting no opposes it.

Proposition One: 
Issues $4 billion in general obligation bonds, which is a municipal bond secured by a government pledge to use its tax revenues to repay bond holders, for housing programs, loans, grants and projects for low-income residents, veterans, farmworkers and manufactured and mobile homes.

Proposition Two: 
Authorizes using the millionaire’s tax, or the 1 percent tax on incomes above $1 million to finance mental health programs, for $2 billion in bonds toward homelessness prevention housing. Approves existing law establishing the No Place Like Home Program, which finances permanent housing for homeless people or people who are at risk for homelessness. Amends Mental Health Services Act to authorize transfers of up to $140 million annually from the existing California Mental Health Services Fund to No Place Like Home Program.

Proposition Three: 
Issues around $8.8 billion in general obligation bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects, such as habitat protection, improved water conveyance, groundwater sustainability and storage and surface water storage and dam repairs.

Proposition Four:
Authorizes $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds to provide for the Children’s Hospital Bond Act Fund. The fund would be used to award grants to children’s hospitals for construction, expansion, renovation and equipment projects. More than $1 billion will go to eight nonprofit hospitals, $270 million will go to five University of California general hospitals and $150 million will go to public and private hospitals that provide pediatric services.

Proposition Five:
Allows homebuyers who are 55 years old or older or are severely disabled to transfer the tax-assessed value from their prior home to their new home, no matter the new home’s market value, the home’s location in the state or the number of times they’ve moved. This would give homeowners age 55 and older a property tax break.

Proposition Six: 
Repeals the 2017 transportation law’s taxes and fees that pay for repairs and improvements to local roads, state highways and public transportation. Makes it so legislature must submit any measure enacting taxes or fees on gas or diesel fuel, or to operate a vehicle on public highways, for electoral approval before going forward. A yes vote on this proposition would repeal gas taxes and vehicle fees.

Proposition Seven: 
Gets rid of daylight savings, and authorizes legislature for permanent daylight savings time if the federal government allows. Establishes the time zone designated by federal law as Pacific Standard Time (PST) as the standard statewide time.

Proposition Eight: 
Prohibits medical clinics from refusing to treat patients based on the source of payment for their care. Calls for dialysis clinics to issue refunds to patients or patients’ payers for revenue above 115 percent of the costs of direct patient care and healthcare improvements. Asks for rebates and penalties if charges exceed the limit, and annual reporting to the state on clinic costs, patient charges and revenue.

Proposition 10: 
Allows local government to regulate rent and creates policies that would limit the rental rates that residential property owners can charge for new tenants, new construction and single-family homes.

Proposition 11: 
Allows ambulance providers to ask for workers to remain on-call during breaks and regulates timing of meal breaks for these employees. Calls for employers to provide training for certain emergency incidents, violence prevention, mental health and wellness and asks for employers to provide employees with certain mental health services.

Proposition 12: 
Bans sale of meat from animals (veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens) confined in spaces below specific sizes. Calls for egg-laying hens be raised in a cage-free environment beginning Dec. 31, 2021.

Information compiled by Kate Hoover