Salinas, Calif. - In an effort to help you decipher the ballot Propositions for the State of California we've put a one sheet together to help you out. So if you're still undecided and need a refresher...here you go.
PROPOSITION 30
TEMPORARY TAXES TO FUND EDUCATION. GUARANTEED LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
-Increases personal income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for seven years.
-Increases sales and use tax by ¼ cent for four years.
-Allocates temporary tax revenues 89% to K12 schools and 11% to community colleges.
-Bars use of funds for administrative costs, but provides local school governing boards discretion to decide, in open meetings and subject to annual audit, how funds are to be spent.
-Guarantees funding for public safety services realigned from state to local governments
PROPOSITION 31
STATE BUDGET. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.
-Establishes two-year state budget cycle.
-Prohibits Legislature from creating expenditures of more than $25 million unless offsetting revenues or spending cuts are identified.
-Permits Governor to cut budget unilaterally during declared fiscal emergencies if Legislature fails to act.
PROPOSITION 32
POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY PAYROLL DEDUCTION. CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANDIDATES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Prohibits unions from using payroll-deducted funds for political purposes. Applies same use prohibition to payroll deductions, if any, by corporations or government contractors.
-Permits voluntary employee contributions to employer-sponsored committee or union if authorized yearly, in writing.
-Prohibits unions and corporations from contributing directly or indirectly to candidates and candidate-controlled committees.
-Other political expenditures remain unrestricted, including corporate expenditures from available resources not limited by payroll deduction prohibition.
-Prohibits government contractor contributions to elected officers or officer-controlled committees.
PROPOSITION 33
AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES. PRICES BASED ON DRIVER'S HISTORY OF INSURANCE COVERAGE. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Changes current law to allow insurance companies to set prices based on whether the driver previously carried auto insurance with any insurance company.
-Allows insurance companies to give proportional discounts to drivers with some history of prior insurance coverage.
-Will allow insurance companies to increase cost of insurance to drivers who have not maintained continuous coverage.
-Treats drivers with lapse as continuously covered if lapse is due to military service or loss of employment, or if lapse is less than 90 days.
PROPOSITION 34
DEATH PENALTY. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Repeals death penalty as maximum punishment for persons found guilty of murder and replaces it with life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
-Applies retroactively to persons already sentenced to death.
-States that persons found guilty of murder must work while in prison as prescribed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, with their wages subject to deductions to be applied to any victim restitution fines or orders against them.
-Directs $100 million to law enforcement agencies for investigations of homicide and rape cases.
PROPOSITION 35
HUMAN TRAFFICKING. PENALTIES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Increases criminal penalties for human trafficking, including prison sentences up to 15-years-to-life and fines up to $1,500,000.
-Fines collected to be used for victim services and law enforcement.
-Requires person convicted of trafficking to register as sex offender.
-Requires sex offenders to provide information regarding Internet access and identities they use in online activities.
-Prohibits evidence that victim engaged in sexual conduct from being used against victim in court proceedings.
-Requires human trafficking training for police officers.
PROPOSITION 36
THREE STRIKES LAW. REPEAT FELONY OFFENDERS. PENALTIES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Revises three strikes law to impose life sentence only when new felony conviction is serious or violent.
-Authorizes re-sentencing for offenders currently serving life sentences if third strike conviction was not serious or violent and judge determines sentence does not pose unreasonable risk to public safety.
-Continues to impose life sentence penalty if third strike conviction was for certain non serious, non-violent sex or drug offenses or involved firearm possession.
-Maintains life sentence penalty for felons with non serious, non-violent third strike if prior convictions were for rape, murder, or child molestation.
PROPOSITION 37
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS. LABELING. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Requires labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways.
-Prohibits labeling or advertising such food, or other processed food, as "natural."
-Exempts foods that are: certified organic; unintentionally produced with genetically engineered material; made from animals fed or injected with genetically engineered material but not genetically engineered themselves; processed with or containing only small amounts of genetically engineered ingredients; administered for treatment of medical conditions; sold for immediate consumption such as in a restaurant; or alcoholic beverages.
PROPOSITION 38
TAX TO FUND EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Increases personal income tax rates on annual earnings over $7,316 using sliding scale from .4% for lowest individual earners to 2.2% for individuals earning over $2.5 million, for twelve years.
-During first four years, allocates 60% of revenues to K12 schools, 30% to repaying state debt, and 10% to early childhood programs. Thereafter, allocates 85% of revenues to K12 schools, 15% to early childhood programs.
-Provides K12 funds on school-specific, per-pupil basis, subject to local control, audits, and public input.
-Prohibits state from directing new funds.
PROPOSITION 39
TAX TREATMENT FOR MULTISTATE BUSINESSES. CLEAN ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUNDING. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
-Requires multi state businesses to calculate their California income tax liability based on the percentage of their sales in California.
-Repeals existing law giving multi state businesses an option to choose a tax liability formula that provides favorable tax treatment for businesses with property and payroll outside California.
-Dedicates $550 million annually for five years from anticipated increase in revenue for the purpose of funding projects that create energy efficiency and clean energy jobs in California.
PROPOSITION 40
REDISTRICTING. STATE SENATE DISTRICTS. REFERENDUM.
-A "Yes" vote approves, and a "No" vote rejects, new State Senate districts drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission.
-If the new districts are rejected, the State Senate district boundary lines will be adjusted by officials supervised by the California Supreme Court.
-State Senate districts are revised every 10 years following the federal census.
