California voters rejected rent control and dialysis company requirements for the second time.
California voters rejected Proposition 21 with 59% against and 41% in favor. It would have expanded the authority of local governments to enact rent control. According to unofficial election night results, Proposition 21 will fail by the same margin as Proposition 10 of 2018, which also proposed to expand rent control authority. Both measures were backed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which spent $40 million in support in 2020 and $22 million in support in 2018. Real estate interests were donors to the opposition of both measures, which raised $71 million in 2018 and at least $73 million in 2020.
Voters rejected Proposition 23 with 64% against and 36% in favor. It would have set certain restrictions and requirements for dialysis companies. It was similar to Proposition 8 in 2018, which voters rejected by 60% to 40%. Both measures had the support of the SEIU-UHW West, a labor union for healthcare workers, and top opposition donors for both were dialysis businesses, including DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care. In 2018, the support campaign raised $19 million, and in 2020, the support campaign raised at least $9 million. In 2018, the opposition campaign raised $111.5 million, and in 2020, the opposition campaign raised at least $105.2 million.
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