In 2024, dozens of propositions could be listed on the ballot, covering everything from the minimum wage to the right to marry who you want. A significant number of them target high school students and can be voted on by the oldest students in our schools.
California is one of just a handful of states to have an initiative proposition system, in which citizens can propose laws to affect the whole state. In the coming months, campaigns for or against these propositions will swing into media coverage across the whole state, but that means right now is the ideal time to inform yourself about what these laws would mean – before an agenda places them in front of you.
The Minimum Wage
The $18 Minimum Wage Initiative is already on the ballot, having cleared the obstacles to becoming a full proposition.
The initiative would raise the minimum wage from $15 an hour to $18 over the next three years; in 2024 it would be $16-$17, in 2025 it would be $17-$18, and by 2026 every business in the state would be required to raise their minimum wage to $18 an hour.
“As somebody. [who] would be making minimum wage, I’m a fan of that proposition,” said Tim Dowd, a Vista junior.
LGBTQ+ Rights
The propositions concerning the rights of LGBTQ people, especially high school students, are almost all right-leaning talking points. None yet qualify as a proposition but have reached key milestones.
One would require all schools to report if a student wished to be referred to by another gender. According to the text of the proposition, it “does not provide exception if student requests confidentiality or where disclosure would endanger their safety.” Schools would be prohibited, “from recognizing the student’s expressed gender without written parental authorization.”
Kirsten “Kasey” Fennel, a junior at Vista who identifies as non-binary, said, “That’s ridiculous… that could potentially lead to an unsafe situation [for the student].”
Another would prevent students from taking part in activities or using school facilities (including bathrooms) consistent with their gender identity.
A third would entirely prohibit any medical procedure to affirm a transgender student’s gender, including surgery or hormones – techniques with up to 99.97% satisfaction rates, says the Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Climate Change
The California Oil and Gas Well Regulations Referendum has already reached the threshold to become a proposition and would require oil and gas wells to comply with a stricter set of policies within designated “health zones,” limiting pollution.
The California Solar Family Farms Initiative isn’t yet a proposition but would allow small solar farms (less than 100 acres) to more freely sell clean power.
The California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Limit Initiative would make the current goals for cutting carbon emissions in California much more stringent – 85% of greenhouse gasses would have to be phased out by 2030.
“Yeah, I support those. We need to limit emissions, so we need to set harsher goals,” said Trinity “Bee” Dey, a junior.
