Written by Amanda Angulo
Due to our state’s legislature being a dysfunctional one, many are now used to making state policy through ballot initiatives. Since election season is coming up with next year’s 2022 election, this leads to the question of what initiatives we may see on the future ballot.
Some of the ones that are currently collecting signatures would concern recycling, gambling, drugs, school systems, mandates, and voter ID.
Delving into one of the most concerning ones on the list, would be the initiative to decriminalize a hallucinogen drug. According to the Attorney General’s ballot title, this is under the name of “DECRIMINALIZES PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.” If this is passed after the election next year, then individuals of the age 21 and over will be able to cultivate, manufacture, process, distribute, transport, store, consume and purchase psilocybin mushrooms, as well as the chemical compound in them that contains the hallucinogenic effect, and edible products and extracts of the mushrooms.
Another initiative most likely to be seen in Nov. of 2022 would be The California Abolition Act. The Attorney General titled it, “PROHIBITS INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE AS A PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.” This Act seeks to unconditionally get rid of involuntary servitude for good. An example of involuntary servitude and forced labor would be such as requiring inmates to work without pay. If this passes, inmates would start to receive an income while serving time for their crime.
On a good note, however, an initiative that truly would be of service to parents would be the school choice initiative. This will require the state to fund approximately $14,000 a year to religious and private schools as voucher payments. This will allow parents whose children are in public schools (or charter) to pull them out of the government schools and have the opportunity to enroll their kids to private school. Another initiative that could be on would be the reinstatement of Props 58 and 193 which would essentially eliminate the death tax and allow for transfer of property without creating a property tax increase.
Additionally, we may see a hopeful voter ID initiative that would require for the verification of voters in all future elections. This is also known as the “California Election Integrity Initiative”.
Other initiatives dealt with expanding sports gambling to tribal lands in California, as well as receiving more funding for water, and a proposed “Earth Sustainability training” program for K-12.
Photo Cred: San Diego Union Tribune
