Catalyst California’s Endorsements for Propositions and Measures on the 2024 November Ballot

The November 2024 election is set to be one of the most pivotal in recent history as voters face a series of ballot measures addressing urgent issues of housing, criminal justice, redistricting, and more. While some proposals aim to take California forward, creating a more equitable and sustainable future for all, others seek to take us backward and only benefit wealthy corporations. Here are our endorsements, offered to guide voters toward a brighter tomorrow for California: 

Proposition 5  aims to lower the approval threshold for local housing and infrastructure bond measures from the current two-thirds (66.7%) to 55%. This change would make it easier for cities and counties to raise funds for affordable housing projects by borrowing money through bond measures. The current high threshold has often hindered efforts to build much-needed affordable housing, with corporations backing it to keep property taxes low to benefit themselves while limiting public investment in housing. Prop 5 would give communities more flexibility to fund housing initiatives that address the state’s severe housing crisis, especially in historically marginalized communities of color. 

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Proposition 6 seeks to end involuntary servitude in state prisons, a practice rooted in slavery that persists due to a provision in the California Constitution. Under this provision, incarcerated individuals have been forced to work for little or no pay, disproportionately affecting communities of color and the impoverished, who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Prop 6 aims to remove this language from the constitution, abolishing involuntary servitude in California once and for all. The measure is part of a broader effort to address the state's legacy of racial injustice.  

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Measure A proposes increasing the existing sales tax for homelessness services from a quarter-cent (Measure H) to a half-cent. This measure aims to generate more revenue to tackle the homelessness crisis by funding the construction of affordable housing and providing tenant protections. In 2022, Measure H helped 23,000 unhoused people find permanent housing, but with over 75,000 residents still experiencing homelessness, more is needed. Measure A would require at least 20% of its revenue to go toward building new affordable housing, directly addressing the root causes of homelessness, while exempting essential items like groceries and diapers from the tax. 

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Proposition 36 threatens to reverse the progress California has made in building a safer, more equitable community. It aims to undo Proposition 47, which successfully reduced prison overcrowding by reclassifying minor nonviolent crimes and reinvesting the savings—over $800 million—into programs that reduce recidivism, homelessness, and unemployment. 

Prop. 36 would take us back to harsh "tough-on-crime" policies that criminalized minor property and drug offenses and expanded California’s prison population without addressing the root causes of crime. This would disproportionately harm low-income communities of color, waste tax-payer dollars, and undermine care-centered safety programs that have proven effective. 

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Charter Amendments DD and LL aim to take redistricting power out of the hands of elected officials and put it in the hands of independent commissions made up of everyday Angelenos. Redistricting, which occurs every decade based on the census, has been influenced by politicians who redraw district lines to benefit themselves, rather than their constituents. These measures would create independent commissions for the LA City Council (Measure DD) and the LA Unified School District (Measure LL), ensuring a fair, transparent process based on input from the community, not political insiders. This shift is designed to prevent gerrymandering and give residents a more equitable voice in shaping their districts. 

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