Students, panelists react to California ballot propositions

Three of the seven state propositions on this year’s ballot will pass, the Associated Press projects: Prop 1, which will enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution; Prop 28, which will fund arts and music education in public schools; and Prop 31, which will uphold a 2020 law banning the sale of certain flavored tobacco products. The rest — Prop 26 and 27, on allowing sports betting; Prop 29, on regulating kidney dialysis clinics; and Prop 30, on an electric vehicle incentive tax — are projected to fail.

The Daily Trojan spoke with students and panelists at the Election Day Watch Party at Wallis Annenberg Hall, hosted by the USC Center for the Political Future Tuesday night, when most propositions were too early to call. General consensus among those interviewed, however, was that the results were widely expected.

Prop 1: Yes, AP Projects

Noelia Rodriguez, a panelist at the event and Fall 2022 CPF fellow, told the Daily Trojan that the passing of the proposition was a “personal thing,” having been a student herself at the time of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

“It memorializes what the people in our state really believe, and that is the right to choice,” said Rodriguez, who formerly served as Los Angeles deputy mayor and director of communications for First Lady Laura Bush. “I know [what] having access to safe child healthcare and preventative measures meant to young women — and quite frankly, their partners … This is a way to enshrine that in our state constitution.”

Prop 1 was also about sending a message to other states: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the measure a mere three days after Dobbs v. Jackson overturned the Roe precedent — in addition to legislation signed the day of, preventing “radical attempts by other states to extend their anti-abortion laws into California,” according to a Jun. 24 press release from Newsom’s office.

“More than anything, it’s to send a message that California is pro-abortion rights,” said Muna Shikaki, a panelist and adjunct instructor at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. “And on the other hand, it’s also a great way to get people to vote during a midterm election where usually there’s not very high turnout.”

Alex Flores, a freshman majoring in public relations and a registered Democrat, said he voted in support of Prop 1.

“Not only for women, but for anyone that has a uterus, seeing discrepancies against their choice was upsetting,” said Flores, who lobbied with Planned Parenthood for the measure. “When you come [to the U.S.], you have an expectation that everyone’s going to be respected. And when people are not being respected, that to me is not upholding an American value.”

Prop 26: No, AP Projects

Both gambling-related propositions, together the most expensive ballot initiative effort to date, overwhelmingly failed. Disapproval of the measures was bipartisan: state Republicans and Democrats declined to openly support either Prop 26 or 27. Opinions among students interviewed, however, were mixed, despite some of them not being of gambling age.

“I voted [for Prop 26] because I am native to my land and I know that it’s a little bit of a struggle to get funding from states here,” Flores said. “Of course, we know that for a lot of Native American peoples and tribes, casinos are a big way for them to make money, and they already do not get much help from the state. They only get tax-exempt land, which is a help, but not the best help.”

Prop 27: No, AP Projects

James Peters, a freshman majoring in political science and a registered Democrat, said he believes Trojan Football’s recent comeback could garner support for gambling at USC.

“Especially in my dormitory, a lot of people are in favor of Prop 27 because sports betting is very popular out of state, and right now they’re doing it [in California] through illegal means,” Peters said. “So specifically, with USC gaining more traction with a better football team, I feel like it could, in a sense, increase favor for Proposition 27.”

David Cerna, a freshman majoring in piano performance and a registered Republican, voted against the measure.

“[Prop] 27 in particular was a big one for me,” Cerna said. “It would virtually allow for any mobile device to become a gambling device. The way I view it, whenever you put something like that into an app on a phone, it automatically puts the mind that, ‘Oh, this is a game’ … and you don’t realize that what you’re using up is your actual money. You can lose your whole life’s savings.”

Prop 28: Yes, AP Projects

Prop 28 is expected to overwhelmingly pass, being what Shikaki called a “safe proposition” for voters. The measure will direct $1 billion dollars in state funds to arts and music education programs in public schools slashed during the 2008 financial crisis, disproportionately affecting low-income communities.

“I grew up during a time where a lot of art docent and garden docent programs were getting cut by the state,” said Eleanor Love, a freshman majoring in public policy and a registered Democrat who voted for the measure. “So I think it’s important that younger students especially are able to be exposed to the arts and music and that sort of thing.”

Flores, a dance instructor, similarly said he took his personal experience into consideration in voting for the measure.

“There is a reason why no one is against the arts,” Flores said. “It is vital to teach our children in school. The arts [are] just as vital as any STEM [or] English class. You’re letting children express themselves creatively and letting children explore issues with their own creative will, and find creative answers to complex issues.”

Prop 29: No, AP Projects

“They’ve tried to do this before and it’s failed, and they’re trying again and it’s likely to fail — again,” Shikaki said of Prop 29, which would impose regulations on kidney dialysis clinics. 

Her prediction was true: AP on Wednesday projected the measure will fail, with 69.9% of ballots counted at the time of publication having voted “no.” A similar proposition in 2020, Prop 23, overwhelmingly failed, with 63.42% voting no. A 2018 proposition, Prop 8, to impose patient refund requirements on clinics also failed, with 59.93% voting no.

Prop 30: No, AP Projects

Responding to an audience question during the watch party panel, Ira Reiner, a Fall 2022 USC CPF fellow and former L.A. district attorney, said of Prop 30, “I was — I am — against it.” Reiner went on to criticize the ballot initiative system as a once democratic system that has since been corrupted by corporate money.

“What’s really wrong with the initiative process is that it is no longer citizen-driven,” Reiner said. “It is driven by very, very, very large money, [pushing] matters that should go through the legislature, go through the committee process — where there can be amendments, there can be witnesses that are brought in, and the final product is never exactly the same as was initially reported.”

Prop 30 is the second ballot measure in the last few years to have had significant financial backing from rideshare company Lyft. The first was in 2020, when Prop 22 became the most expensive ballot measure in California history as gig companies poured money to fight against the measure. (This year’s Props 26 and 27 combined have since taken the lead as the most expensive measure.)

Prop 31: Yes, AP Projects

Love said Prop 31 was of major concern for her and her friends, considering the popularity of flavored tobacco products among younger voters.

“Some of my friends were texting me and saying, ‘Vote no on 31 so I can still buy vapes,’” Love said. “I just noticed that a lot of people my age are addicted to it. I was in eighth grade or seventh grade when kids my age started using flavored tobacco and vape products … and I just feel like kids should not have access to that.”