Californians have approved a property rights initiative shielding most homeowners from government seizures.
Voters approved Proposition 99 , one of two measures on the ballot intended to limit when government can force Californians to sell their homes for private development projects, like shopping malls, hotels and housing.
The property rights measure Proposition 98 also seeks protections for businesses and farms and would phase out rent control. It was failing in early returns.
The success of Proposition 99 was a victory for the California League of Cities and environmentalists who placed the initiative on the ballot as an alternative to the broader Proposition 98.
