On November 5, or sooner by mail, California voters will decide on 10 propositions. These include approving $20 billion in bonds for climate and school projects, three state constitution amendments, and measures on crime, health care, and taxes.

Prop 2 — Borrow $10 billion to build schools, colleges

Proposition 2 would allocate $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges for facility renovations and construction. The state would distribute the money through matching grants. Less affluent districts and those with more English learners and foster youth would receive a larger share. Some funds would go toward removing lead from water, creating transitional kindergarten classrooms, and building career and technical education facilities.

Prop 3 — Reaffirm the right of same-sex couples to marry

Proposition 3 would add the right to same-sex marriage to the California constitution. It would repeal Proposition 8, the 2008 measure that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. In practice, this measure would not change who can marry in the state.

Prop 4 — Lower voter approval requirements for local housing and infrastructure

Approving Proposition 4 would allow $10 billion in bonds for environmental and climate projects. The largest portion, $1.9 billion, would go toward improving drinking water. The bond prioritizes lower-income communities and those most vulnerable to climate change. It also requires annual audits.

Repaying the bond could cost $400 million a year for 40 years. According to a legislative analysis, taxpayers may end up spending $16 billion.

Prop 5 — Limit forced labor in state prisons

Proposition 6 would amend the California Constitution to ban involuntary work assignments for inmates and prevent punishment for those who refuse to work. Instead, state prisons could create a volunteer work program, allowing inmates to earn sentence-reducing credits. Local jails could set pay rates through county or city ordinances.

The measure’s costs are unclear and remain debated. A related law states that the state corrections department would set inmate pay.

Prop 32 — Raise the state minimum wage to $18

Proposition 32 would raise the minimum wage to $17 for the rest of 2024 and to $18 starting in January 2025, up from the current $16. Small businesses with 25 or fewer employees would need to pay at least $17 next year and $18 by 2026. If approved, California would have the highest state minimum wage in the nation.

Starting in 2027, the wage would adjust for inflation, as the state already does. While the increase would apply statewide, its impact would vary. Nearly 40 California cities already have local minimum wages higher than the state’s, with six requiring at least $18 and others close to it.

Prop 33 — Allow local governments to impose rent controls

Many cities, like San Francisco and Los Angeles, have rent control policies that limit landlords’ annual rent increases. However, the Costa-Hawkins law has restricted those limits for nearly 30 years. Under this law, cities cannot apply rent control to single-family homes or apartments built after 1995. Landlords are also free to set new rental rates when tenants move out.

If Proposition 33 passes, it would change this. Cities could control rents on all types of housing, including single-family homes, new apartments, and for new tenants.

Prop 34 — Require certain providers to use prescription drug revenue for patients

Since 1992, federal law has offered healthcare providers a deal: serve low-income and at-risk patients in exchange for discounts on pharmaceuticals. Providers can then sell those drugs at retail prices, using the profits to expand services for disadvantaged groups.

Proposition 34 would require some California providers to spend at least 98% of their net drug sale revenue on “direct patient care.” Providers who don’t comply could lose their state license, tax-exempt status, and government contracts.

However, the proposition targets only providers meeting strict criteria: spending over $100 million on non-care expenses, owning apartment buildings, and having at least 500 severe health and safety violations in the past decade. This seems to apply only to one group—the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The measure would also formalize a Newsom administration policy, requiring state agencies to negotiate lower drug prices together as a single entity.

Prop 35  — Make permanent a tax on managed care health insurance plans

Proposition 35 would require the state to use revenue from a tax on health care plans for Medi-Cal, the public insurance program for low-income Californians and people with disabilities. The funds would go toward primary and specialty care, emergency services, family planning, mental health, and prescription drugs. It would also stop lawmakers from using the tax revenue to replace existing Medi-Cal funding.

The tax is expected to generate over $35 billion over the next four years. Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed using this revenue for other Medi-Cal expenses, reversing a previous deal to support new investments.

Prop 36 — Increase penalties for theft and drug trafficking

Proposition 36 would reclassify certain misdemeanor theft and drug offenses as felonies.

The measure would introduce a new category of crime called “treatment-mandated felony.” Individuals who do not contest the charges could opt for drug treatment instead of prison time. However, if they fail to complete the treatment, they could face up to three years in prison.