CalChamber Positions: June 2018 Ballot Measures

CalChamber Supports All Measures on June 2018 Ballot

The California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has voted to support all measures on the June 2018 ballot.

Proposition 68Support. California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018. (SB 5; de León; Chapter 852, Statutes of 2017), a $4 billion bond measure. The CalChamber Board voted to support the measure because it will provide funds for: groundwater cleanups that improve water quality; flood protection and repair; clean drinking water projects; and parks in urban and disadvantaged communities.

Proposition 69 — Support. Motor Vehicle Fees and Taxes: Restriction on Expenditures: Appropriations Limit. ACA 5 (Frazier; D-Discovery Bay; Resolution Chapter 30, Statutes of 2017), a constitutional amendment to restrict use of diesel sales tax revenues and the new transportation improvement fee to transportation purposes. The CalChamber Board voted to endorse this measure to add protections for the new transportation revenues approved under CalChamber-supported SB 1 (Beall; D-San Jose; Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017), which enacted the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

Proposition 70 — Support. Greenhouse Gas Reduction Reserve Fund. ACA 1 (Mayes; R-Yucca Valley; Resolution Chapter 105, Statutes of 2017), a constitutional amendment requiring revenues from the cap-and-trade auctions to be deposited into the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Reserve Fund. It also requires one-time legislative supermajority approval of the cap-and-trade expenditure plan before the funds can be returned to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Reserve Fund to be appropriated. The CalChamber Board voted to support this measure because it will encourage bipartisan support for a cap-and-trade expenditure plan and allow for a process to negotiate expenditures that furthers the goals of the Legislature as a whole.

Proposition 71 —Support. Ballot Measures: Effective Date. ACA 17 (Mullin; D-South San Francisco; Resolution Chapter 190, Statutes of 2017) provides that an initiative statute, referendum, or constitutional amendment or revision shall take effect on the fifth day after the Secretary of State files the statement of vote, unless the measure provides a later operative date that is after this effective date. The CalChamber Board voted to support the measure because allowing initiatives and referenda to go into effect before the vote has been certified by the Secretary of State can create confusion and even the erroneous implementation of new law.

Proposition 72—Support. Property Tax: New Construction Exclusion: Rain Water Capture System. SCA 9 (Glazer; D-Contra Costa; Resolution Chapter 1, Statutes of 2018) will exclude rain water capture systems from the definition of “newly constructed” for property tax reassessment purposes. California is in a state of flux between heavy precipitation and drought. The CalChamber Board voted to support Proposition 72 because rain water recapture systems are an effective means of conserving water that should be encouraged.