General Election: November 2, 2010
Proposition 19 would legalize marijuana in California for personal use by individuals 21 years of age and older. The measure would authorize the cultivation and commercial sale of marijuana under several restrictions. The state and local governments could regulate and tax sales of the drug.
Proposition 20 would transfer authority for re-drawing Congressional district boundaries from the legislature to a 14-person legislative redistricting commission made up of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
An $18 annual surcharge would be added to the amount paid when a person registers a motor vehicle. The surcharge revenues would be deposited in a trust fund to be used solely for operating, maintaining, and repairing state parks, and protecting wildlife and natural resources. Vehicles subject to the surcharge would have free admission and parking at all state parks.
Prohibits the state, even during severe fiscal hardship, from delaying distribution of tax revenues for transportation, redevelopment, or local government projects and services.
Certain existing and proposed regulations to address global warming would be suspended. These regulations would remain suspended until the state unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent or lower for one year.
Three business tax provisions would return to what they were before 2008 and 2009 law changes. Businesses would be less able to deduct losses in one year against income in other years, multistate businesses would have their California income determined differently, and businesses would not be able to share tax credits with related businesses.
The Legislature’s vote requirement to send the annual budget bill to the Governor would be lowered from two-thirds to a majority of each house of the Legislature.
The definition of taxes would be broadened to include many payments currently considered to be fees or charges. As a result, more state and local proposals to increase revenues would require approval by two-thirds of each house of the Legislature or by local voters.
Proposition 27 would amend the constitution by transferring authority to draw State Assembly, State Senate, and Board of Equalization districts from a 14-person legislative redistricting commission to the Legislature. This would reverse the effects of Proposition 11, which passed on November 4, 2008.
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