The final additions to the California general election ballot are two bond measures, Propositions 2 and 4, which together total $20 billion.
Proposition 2 would issue $10 billion to fund construction and improvements to education facilities, including $8.5 billion for elementary and secondary educational facilities and $1.5 billion for community college facilities. In order for a school district to receive funding from the bond issue, the bill would require the district to submit a 5-year school facilities master plan to the Department of General Services and a report of the school district’s existing school building capacity to the State Allocation Board.
Proposition 2 is endorsed by the Los Angeles Unified School District, the California Teachers Association, the Association of California School Administrators, the California School Boards Association, and the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH).
The California Teachers Association said, “This important bond represents a significant commitment to K-12 schools by providing $8.5 billion to provide both new construction as well as modernization of California’s schools, including addressing lead in water, extreme heat mitigation, transitional kindergarten facility needs and career technical education facilities.”
Public Advocates, a public interest law firm, submitted the following opposition statement during the legislative process, “Students need equitable access to state school facilities funding for new construction and modernization. On average, the wealthiest 20% of districts have seventeen times more assessed value per pupil than the poorest 20%, sometimes as much as 25 times more. The existing system—a 60% state match to 40% local—advantages resource-rich districts that can more easily meet their match and more—constructing STEM labs and performing arts centers, while economically disadvantaged districts struggle to repair HVAC systems, repair leaky roofs, and remediate black mold.”
California voters defeated a school bond measure in March 2020, with 53% opposing it. The measure would have issued $15 billion in general obligation bonds for school and college facilities. It was the first statewide education-related bond issue that voters rejected since 1994.
Voters will also be deciding on Proposition 4, which would issue $10 billion in bonds to fund state and local parks, environmental protection projects, water infrastructure projects, energy projects, and flood protection projects. The measure received endorsements from California Environmental Voters, the Center for Environmental Health, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and The Sierra Fund.
The lead authors of the bill include State Sens. Ben Allen (D-24), Josh Becker (D-13), Lena Gonzalez (D-33), S. Monique Limón (D-19), Anthony Portantino, Jr. (D-25), and Henry Stern (D-27). The authors said, “SB 867 will provide the necessary investment to help our state become more resilient to climate change. If passed by the voters, this bond will provide funding for concrete on-the-ground measures that will help reduce the severity, frequency, and impacts of climate related natural disasters including fires, drought, flood, extreme heat, and mudslides. According to California’s 4th Climate Assessment, the cost of climate change for California alone could be more than $113 billion annually by 2050.”
No opposition statements to the bond measure were registered during the legislative process.
The California Constitution requires the state legislature to approve any bond measures above $300,000 by a two-thirds supermajority vote and the electorate to approve the bonds by a simple majority vote. Both bills to place the bond measures on the ballot were passed with at least 82% of members voting in favor of the bill. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the bills on July 3 officially sending them to the ballot.
Californians cast ballots on 45 bond issues (totaling $195.036 billion in value) from 1993 to March 2024. Voters approved 33 (73.3%) of the bond measures—a total of $172.554 billion. The legislature referred 37 bond measures to the ballot, and 28 of 37 legislative referrals (75.7%) were approved.
California voters last approved a statewide bond issue in March 2024 with 50.18% approving it and 49.82% opposing it. It was the 8th closest statewide ballot measure margin in California since 1908. Proposition 1, which was placed on the ballot by the state legislature, issued $6.38 billion in bonds to fund housing for homeless individuals and veterans, including up to $4.4 billion for mental health care and drug or alcohol treatment facilities and $2.0 billion for housing for homeless persons.
California voters will also decide on eight other measures including five citizen initiatives and three legislatively referred constitutional amendments in Nov. 2024.
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