California Democratic Party supports ballot measures on same-sex marriage, taxes and rent control

California Democratic Party leaders, at their annual board convention this weekend, took positions on a series of statewide measures that will — or could — appear on the November ballot.

In a state where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans, the state party’s support will be a boon for proposals approved during the costly election campaign ahead.

The party’s positions were recommended during a sometimes contentious committee meeting that spanned most of Saturday afternoon, with prominent speakers including civil rights leader Dolores Huerta and Rep. Maxine Waters of Los Angeles, appearing to support certain measures. The party officially approved its choices in a vote Sunday morning.

Party leaders supported Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1a measure put on the ballot by Democrats in the state legislature who will ask voters whether to lower the voting threshold on new taxes and bonds that increase funding for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects.

California currently requires two-thirds voter approval on certain special tax increases and bond measures. This amendment would lower that threshold to 55% for approval of new taxes and special bonds for local affordable housing and public infrastructure projects.

The party also supported Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5which would amend the state constitution to remove outdated language from Proposition 8, passed by California voters in 2008, which characterizes marriage as between a man and a woman – and would reaffirm the right of same-sex couples to marry.

The state’s outdated definition was deemed unenforceable and unconstitutional thanks to federal law, but LGBTQ+ advocacy groups are calling on voters to repeal it and amend the California Constitution to explicitly state that marriage is “a fundamental right” .

The state party voted in favor Assembly constitutional amendment 13, a third measure brought to the ballot by the Democratic-led Legislature. The measure is a response to a business-led initiative to make it harder for California to pass new taxes.

If passed, Amendment 13 would require ballot initiatives to raise the voter approval threshold for statewide measures to reach that same higher bar in order to take effect (thus, if a measure seeks to increase the voter approval threshold from 50% to two). majority of thirds, this measure would also have to be adopted by a majority of two thirds to enter into force).

The party also took a position on a number of measures that have gathered the necessary signatures to qualify for the November ballot but won’t officially qualify until the end of June, the state’s deadline. The party voted for: