Controversial CA Propositions and Their Effects

Alexandria Ali, Sofia Abramson & Lucy Liu, Stand Up San Fernando

Published 2/1/2021

Background

The 2020 election season was filled with anxiety, frustration, and a tinge of excitement for some. It was a landmark year for many Americans who wished to remove former President Donald Trump and usher in a newer, democratic cabin and administration. 2020 was also the year that Californians voted into law new legislation, which stand upon a wide variety of issues. In this article, we'll be going over some of the most controversial propositions and how they played out.

Proposition 15

Result: Prop 15 was defeated (not passed) -- 52% voted no, 48% voted yes

Proposition 15 would have increased property taxes for large businesses, allocating the money earned from such taxes to local schools and local governments. In 1978, proposition 13 was passed, which cut taxes for landowners. Voting yes on proposition 15 would have stripped these large business owners of this protection. Supporters of prop. 15 believed that the taxes on a fraction of big business should go towards cities, counties, and school districts. On the other hand, opponents of prop. 15 believed that It would be senseless to pass one of the biggest tax increases in California’s history in the middle of a cataclysmically bad recession. Furthermore, while small businesses are technically exempt, large landlords may end up passing the costs to some of their tenants and customers.

Proposition 16

Result: Prop. 16 was defeated -- 57% voted no, 42% voted yes

Proposition 16 promoted affirmative action and would have undone a legal guarantee of equal rights. In 1996 California voters passed prop. 209, wherein the state was prohibited from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex color, ethnicity, or national origin. At the time, California had affirmative action programs which gave preference to minorities and women in state hiring, the awarding of state contracts, and college admissions, however, prop. 209 made all those programs illegal. Prop 16 would have reversed course and allow affirmative action to return. Supporters argued that the state needs to award more opportunities to minorities and women, as a way to correct for centuries of economic and political privilege, falling primarily on white men. Opponents argued that the ends don't justify the means, and that if equality is the end goal, the most important thing is to keep equal treatment written into the law.

Proposition 22

Result: Prop. 22 was passed -- 41% voted no, 59% voted yes

Prop. 22 classifies app-based drivers (Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, etc.) as independent contractors and not as employees. This means that the people working under these apps are not covered by state worker employment laws (e.g. minimum wage, healthcare subsidies, vehicle insurance). It also classifies impersonation of drivers as a crime and restricts certain local regulation of those working under these apps. However, there has been controversy surrounding this proposition and how it was passed. Many companies had been desperately trying to get Prop 22 to pass: Uber, Lyft, and Doordash poured 90 million dollars into getting the proposition to pass, this number went up to 185 million dollars. Many argue that such companies want to be exempt from the responsibility and extra cost of having official employees. There is no consensus amongst the app-based drivers affected, but there had been coalitions of drivers who were raising funds to create advertisements against the proposition. Prop. 22 greatly affects drivers who depend on these apps for a living, they have been stripped of paid sick days/parental leave, health insurance, and overtime pay.