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November 17, 2024 Login
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Berkeley and California vote on 2022 midterm propositions

ISA SHIMOMURA
By Shanza Syed, December 11th, 2022

PROP L, M, N

As for local legislation, measures M, and N passed, with 64 percent, and 76 percent of the vote respectively. Measure L, which required a 66 percent majority, failed with only 59 percent of the vote.

Measure L, which allocates funds to infrastructure improvements, would result in the improvement of roads, which have been deteriorating all across the city. It would also build affordable housing in order to reduce the homelessness crisis facing the city and provide climate solutions. 

Measure M  intends to combat homelessness by incentivizing homeowners to rent out their vacant units by imposing a $3000 tax on landlords the first year, and a $6000 tax every year after that. 

Lastly, Measure N targets the sphere of public housing by providing funding to build 3000 additional units of rent-controlled housing. 

PROP 1

Prop 1, which would enshrine the right to abortion in California’s State Constitution, managed to pass with 66.9 percent of the vote.

PROP 26 & 27

Prop 26 and 27 failed, receiving 37 percent and 17.7 percent of the vote respectively. If they had passed, sports betting would have been legal in casinos on Native American land. This was made possible by the fact that Native Americans have some level of sovereignty over their land’s laws.

PROP 28

Prop 28, which is to dedicate $1 billion of funding to art and music programs at public schools, passed will 64.4 percent of the vote. 

PROP 29

Prop 29, which would have required a doctor to be present in every dialysis facility for the procedure to take place, failed, receiving only 31.6 percent of the vote. This can be attributed to the fact that many voters felt it would force dialysis centers to close if they didn’t have a physician available on hand, and jeopardize the ability of dialysis patients to receive life-saving treatment.

PROP 30

Prop 30, regarding an additional tax on income over $2 million to pay for electric vehicle subsidies failed with 42.3 percent of the vote. Some were concerned that rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber would be the ones benefiting from this policy more than others. Finally, Prop 31, which would ban the sale of flavored tobacco, passed with 63.4 percent of the vote.

Correction: a previous version of this article listed incorrect percentages for propositions L, M, and N. The percentages have been adjusted.