California Propositions 2012

Text by EasyVoterGuide.orgPresentation by Jennifer Gagliardi @ Milpitas Adult School

uscitizenpod.com

Propositions

• Propositions are proposed laws presented to the public to vote on.

• A proposition passes and becomes law when it receives more than 50 percent YES votes.

• A YES vote means that you support the way the proposition would change things.

• A NO vote means that you want to leave things the way they are now.

• You do not have to vote on everything!

Proposition 30 Temporary Taxes to Fund Education

• Make temporary increases in sales tax and personal income tax, to pay for education programs.

• The sales tax would go up by ¼ cent (0.25%) for four years.

• YES: yesonprop30.com• NO: stopprop30.com

Proposition 31State Budget

The state would plan and approve a budget every two years instead of every year.

YES: accountableca.orgNO: prop31facts.com

Source: www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/taxReceipt/

Proposition 32Political Contributions by Payroll Deduction

• Prohibit any corporation, labor union, government contractor, or government employer from using payroll deductions for political purposes.

• YES: yesprop32.com• NO:

stopspecialexemptions.org

Proposition 33Auto Insurance Companies

• Allow insurance companies to include a driver’s history of insurance coverage as a factor in setting prices.

• YES: yesprop33.com• NO:

stopprop33.consumerwatchdogcampaign.org

Proposition 34Death Penalty

• End the death penalty, and make life imprisonment with no chance of parole the maximum punishment for murder.

• YES: safecalifornia.org• NO: waitingforjustice.net

Proposition 35Human Trafficking

Expand the definition of trafficking to include crimes related to distributing obscene materials depicting a child.

YES: caseact.org NO: esplerp.org

Proposition 36Three Strikes Law

• Reduce the sentencing for some third non-violent, non-serious felony convictions.

• Instead of life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years before the possibility of parole, the sentence would be twice the usual prison term for that felony.

• YES: yeson36.org NO: savethreestrikes.com

Proposition 37 Genetically Engineered Foods

• Require food sold in California stores to have labels that say if it is made from GE plants or animals.

• The law would not apply to food served in restaurants and certain other foods.

• YES: carighttoknow.org• NO: noprop37.com

Proposition 38 Tax to Fund Education

& Early Childhood Programs

• Increase personal income tax rates to pay for schools and pay-off state debt.

• YES: prop38forlocalschools.org• NO: stopthemiddleclasstaxhike.com

Both Prop 30 and Prop 38 would increase personal income tax rates, but in different ways.

When ballot measures conflict like this and voters approve both, the state Constitution says the measure that gets more YES votes will be the one to go into effect.

Proposition 39Tax Treatment for Multistate Businesses

• Require multistate businesses to pay state income taxes based on the percentage of their total sales in California.

• YES: cleanenergyjobsact.com

• NO: stop39.com

Proposition 40Redistricting

• A YES vote would approve the current state Senate district maps created and certified in 2011

• People against Prop 40 have chosen to stop campaigning and are no longer asking voters for a NO vote.

• YES: holdpoliticiansaccountable.org

For more information

• VOANews.com USA Votes• League of Women Voters

LWV.org• SCCVote.org• Vote411.org (Build your own

Ballot!)• USCitizenPod.com• EasyVoterGuide.org• Text for this PPT was copied from

easyvoterguide.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/EVG-Nov12-Eng-v5x.pdf

• Thanks to all the Election 2012 volunteers.

• Special thanks to all the new US Citizens who are voting for the first time: keep up the great work!