It’s not only candidates voters have to choose next week in the June 5 primary. There are also five statewide propositions on the ballot.
The public political wrangling over these ballot measures has been fairly tame. Voters may not even be fully aware of what the propositions are about or what effect they may have.
Thad Kousser, a political science professor at UC San Diego and chair of the political science department, joins Midday Edition on Monday with a primer on the propositions.
It is not only candidates voters have to choose next week in the June 5 primary. There are five statewide propositions on the ballot. The political wrangling over these ballot measures has been fairly tame. Voters may not be fully aware of what the propositions are about or what the effects are. Luckily Mr. Kaiser chair of the political science department does know where it the June primary is about. He joins me by skype. What are the reasons voter may not know what the propositions are about is they are technical and not terribly interesting. Why is that ? see in these are all measures placed on the ballot I the legislator with the two third super majority vote in each house. The citizen initiative that brings up controversy like same-sex marriage, legislation, those will all be on the ballot in November. That is where you have the biggest voters weighing in on them. Where we are is legislative referred matters which are important but not as flashy. >>> Not flashy but important. Let's start chronologically. There is proposition 68 that asked voters to approve bonds for parks, flood protection, climate adaptation, the solvency management plan is in there, what exactly are voters being asked to do? >> Voters are being asked to spend $4 billion of taxpayer money now and in the next generations repaying over 40 years to spend on a lot of natural resource protection as well as water projects, state parks, building new parks and neighborhoods with few parks, this is a big investment but what we regularly due to these bonds were rebuilding infrastructure now impaled -- and to pay for it over the lifetime. >>> People are saying why we asking the legislature to approve a bond when the state has a surplus is there an argument ? spew the state does have a surplus. Governor Brown is clear he wants to save that for a rainy day. Economic tough times are around the corner with the next recession. This is a way to smooth out the investments for parks, water projects over the next four years rather than getting rid of our rainy day fund. >>> Moving to prop 69, he puts limits on where the money for the states new gas tax can go. Tell us about that. >> This is an open ended skirmish in a fight we will have this November about gas tax. The gas tax increase vehicle license fees will raise about $5 billion a year. That will be a repeal. What is up for the vote in November. The legislature's time -- trying to reassure voters that the extra $.12 at the pump your pain, that will go into transportation and road projects. Current legislation says that this likes it into the state constitution to guarantee voters that they sustain the gas tax, it will go to new roads. >>> Proposition 70 is a measure that generated the most controversy. What is it trying to approve? >> It asked voters to say that when a new law that went into effect was just passed by the legislature last year, it says when California, it extended California's cap and trade program a program for option for greenhouse gas credits to take an economically efficient way towards addressing climate change, when that money comes in, two thirds majority has to decide how to spend it. Proposition 71 and that. It would require the two thirds majority. Maybe both parties have a say about the environmental revenue should be spent. >>> Requiring something with a two thirds majority should send shivers down the spine of a lot of people who remember the California got into a lot of trouble with requiring two thirds majorities for spending issues. >> We have been there before. That is what the no side is saying. They are saying this will lead to gridlock and it would allow a majority of small legislatures to decide where the money is going. This is part of the compromise deal the legislator did to get those members of legislature to get on board with this legislation. There are environmental groups that are saying this is not a good idea because that money will not get spent. >>> Governor Brown is for prop 70? >> Yes. P put together this deal and sticking with the coalition and argues in favor with it. >>> Prop 71 looks like a housekeeping measure for the state. What would that do if it passes? >> What it says is that right now ballot measures go into effect the day after the election. The problem is in California, we don't know who won or lost the election the day after an election because the majority of voters vote by mail and ballots can take a while to come in. This says ballot measures do not go into effect until one month later when the Secretary of State has finally counted all of the ballots and certified an election. >>> Prop 72 would allow homeowners to allow rainwater capture systems without facing a property tax reassessment. That is a nod to California's need to conserve water. Does prop 72 have any negative effects? >> Only to point out the absurdity of the California Constitution and everything it covers. This is one of those things where its ahead scratcher saying why do we need this? Right now, the way our California laws and Constitution interact, if you put in a rainwater capture system everybody thinks it's a great idea, that will appear property taxes this is no. It is hard to find. Nobody sent an argument to put in a ballot against us one. >>> You have me interested. You said the flashy propositions are all going to come ahead in November. Can you give us a sneak peek. What is qualified that will be big in November. >> We will have a big fight over the gas tax. A possible big fight over taxes in general kind of a sonar prop 13 initiative that would make it harder to raise taxes at the state and local level in California. That may be headed to the ballots. And then the usual expensive fights over things like exactly how dialysis centers should work. That is something that seems obscure, but it points out pretty big passions in California. It involves pretty big money with dialysis centers. That will be an expensive fight if it makes it to the ballot. We don't know the full roster. Dividing California into different states. That initiative that would have San Diego be its own state with a few other areas and pulling away from LA and the Bay Area, that could make it to the ballot. >>>-Speaking with Thad Kousser, thank you so much, Thad. >>> Thank you for having me.
