Posted on June 19th, 2009 — in Ballot Measures :: Elections and Voting :: Religion
After California voters approved Proposition 8 in November 2008, restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples, a group of secular and religious leaders gathered in Pasadena to analyze the ways in which conservative religious communities contributed to the measure’s success. Their report examines how gay and lesbian religious organizing efforts have fallen short, and outlines strategies to guide future advocacy efforts.
Posted on April 10th, 2009 — in Ballot Measures :: Elections and Voting
Since 1973, six statewide special elections have been called (three of them since 2003). The Public Policy Institute of California looks at the issues, voter turnout and final results for each.
Posted on April 1st, 2009 — in Ballot Measures :: Elections and Voting :: State Budget
Proposition 1A would make significant changes to the size of the state’s reserve (“rainy day”) fund, and place new restrictions on its use. The California Budget Project examines the proposition’s complex formulas, and describes its potential impact on state budgeting practice and existing state programs.
Posted on February 27th, 2009 — in Ballot Measures :: State Budget
[Legislative Analyst's Office]
The Legislative Analyst’s Office has released analyses of each of the six measures on the May 19 special election ballot. Each report includes background, a detailed description of the measure, and both short- and long-term fiscal effects.
Posted on February 27th, 2009 — in Ballot Measures :: Social Policy
Two reports take a hard look at why Proposition 8, which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry, succeeded, and explore possible strategies for future campaigns.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 — in Ballot Measures :: Social Policy
The Public Policy Institute of California does the numbers on Proposition 8: Eliminating Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. A breakdown of the final vote by party, political ideology, presidential choice, religion, education, income, age, marital status, and race/ethnicity tells a story of a California with multiple divisions.
Posted on November 12th, 2008 — in Ballot Measures :: Economy and Business :: Employment :: Growth, Development & Infrastructure :: Resources and Environment :: Transportation
With the recent passage of Proposition 1A clearing the way for the construction of a high-speed rail line linking San Francisco and Los Angeles , a report from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute explores quality-of-life benefits to Bay Area residents in four categories: business and job creation; mobility; urban development; and climate change.
Posted on October 27th, 2008 — in Ballot Measures :: Crime and Punishment :: Health Care :: Redistricting :: Resources and Environment :: Transportation
Just in time for the November 4 election, the Reason Foundation has released a slew of reports on California ballot measures. The bond measures Prop. 1A High Speed Rail, Prop. 3 Children’s Hospitals, Prop. 10 Alternative Fuel Vehicles, and Prop. 12 Veterans’ Bonds, are treated in a single report. Prop 1A, Prop. 5 on Nonviolent Offenders, and Prop. 11 on Redistricting are covered more thoroughly in separate studies. For another perspective on the redistricting initiative, see the report from the Center for Governmental Studies. If after reading these you’re still undecided, check out the abundant resources on the ballot measures compiled by the Institute of Governmental Studies Library at Election 2008 Hot Topics.
Posted on July 23rd, 2008 — in Ballot Measures :: Politics :: Polls and Surveys
Voter awareness thus far about several of the November ballot measures is limited, according to a new Field Poll, but when likely voters are told about the initiatives, they tend to favor them. The poll asked voters about five of the ballot measures (Proposition 1, the high speed rail bond; Proposition 2, the farm animal cruelty prevention measure; Proposition 4, the abortion parental notification measure; Proposition 7, the renewable energy standards measure; and Proposition 11, the redistricting measure). The ballot measures generally registered voter awareness in the 15% to 25% range, with the abortion measure having the highest level of awareness at 45%. When given a summary of the measures, voters generally had positive reactions, with support ranging from 41% for the redistricting measure to 63% for the farm animal and renewable energy measures.
Posted on July 21st, 2008 — in Ballot Measures :: Growth, Development & Infrastructure :: Politics :: Resources and Environment
A new report from the Public Policy Institute of California re-emphasizes the point (made in previous PPIC reports, as well as reports from the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force) that the systems that currently hold the Delta ecosystem together are “unstable and headed for major change.” The report makes several recommendations to improve the Delta, including building a peripheral canal, a proposal that is sure to be controversial, given the 63-37% defeat of a ballot measure in June 1982 that proposed a similar solution. (PPIC has an interactive map that displays county voting patterns on Proposition 9, showing the significant disparity between voting patterns in most of the counties of southern California, together with Kern County, and the rest of the state.)