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Californians will return to the ballot box on Nov. 8 to vote on numerous propositions that include womens rights, online gambling and the banning of flavored cigarettes.

Californians will vote in the California General Election Nov. 8, and The Oak Leaf Editorial Board has researched each proposition and formed our recommendations on how to vote on this year’s propositions.

Proposition 1: Yes

Proposition 1 would safeguard the reproductive freedom to have an abortion or to choose or refuse contraceptives as a right for California residents. Even though the majority of Californians support reproductive freedom, the U.S. Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe vs. Wade means abortion is no longer protected by the federal government. 

Proposition 26: No

Proposition 26 would legalize in-person roulette, dice games and sports wagering on tribal lands. Gaming tribes are in favor of the proposition, but gaming businesses oppose it. This proposition also allows any individual to file suit against cardrooms for offering banked games, which could jeopardize cities that rely on tax revenue from cardrooms. There will be a significant increase in gambling that benefits only a few tribes if this measure passes.

Proposition 27: No

Proposition 27 would allow sports betting in California to take place on mobile devices and the internet. This proposition would make sports gambling readily accessible and a few clicks away to anyone in California, not just those on tribal lands. Companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel would profit if this proposition is passed. 

Proposition 28: Yes

Proposition 28 would guarantee K-12 public schools a minimum amount of annual funding toward arts and music education. 

Proposition 29: No

Proposition 29 would force dialysis clinics to hire physicians to be present during treatment hours, increasing clinic costs by several hundred thousand dollars annually, eventually shutting clinics down. Patients who live in remote or rural areas could lose access to their local clinics, forcing them to drive longer distances and deal with longer wait times to get the treatment they need to survive.

Proposition 30: No

While taxing the rich sounds like a surefire way to raise money for clean air projects and wildfire prevention, the Proposition itself was written and bankrolled by Lyft, who included self-satisfying subsidies. Gov. Newsom, who is vehemently opposed to Proposition 30, has already outlined an over $10 billion zero-emission vehicle package to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles and fight climate change. The Editorial Board recommends Governor Newsom’s outline over a special interest group’s money grab at the ballot box.

Proposition 31: Yes

Proposition 31 would uphold Senate Bill 793 that banned the sale of flavored tobacco products in California. The proposition is designed to protect children from addiction to tobacco products, despite their appealing flavors.