What Is Proposition 68? Voter Guide for 2018 California Measures

LOS ANGELES, CA — If Proposition 68 passes it would authorize $4 billion in general obligation bonds to fund state and local parks, environmental protection projects, clean water projects, and flood protection efforts. Specifically, many of the parks projects would be geared toward California's poorest communities. In doing so, it would incur significant debt, an estimated $2.53 billion in interest payments over a 30-year-period.

The measure brings together of an unusual cohort of organizations ranging from the California Chamber of Commerce to the Sierra Club in support of the measure. It enjoys the support of the state's most prominent democrats including Gov. Jerry Brown and the two men vying to replace him: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Support for the measure are well-funded, crushing the opposition $5 million to $0 as of May 13, according to Ballotpedia.

The measure is opposed by some big names in conservative taxpayer advocacy, including Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and State Sen. John Moorlach, Orange County's small government legislator.

What Proposition 68 Does

Proposition 68 would authorize the state to sell $4 billion in bonds for environmental protection and building local parks. As much as 20 percent of the bond’s funds, could go to projects in communities where the median household income is less than 60 percent of the state average because those communities tend to be park-starved.

The Argument For Proposition 68

Proponents of the measure argue it will help California weather climate change and the catastrophic cycles of drought, flooding and wildfires likely to come with it.

"Today, California faces growing challenges to our water supplies and natural resources. A changing climate has put our water supplies more and more in jeopardy as we face increasingly intense wildfires, droughts, and floods. California can no longer count on the federal government to provide help and support, even during the recent wildfires, but there is much that we can do to prepare California’s natural resources for the future," according to the Proposition 68 website. "Prop 68 will help California deal with droughts and wildfires that could become more frequent and severe. It takes a smart, efficient approach by recycling more water locally, and making local water systems more effective with proven cost-saving solutions."

The Argument Against Proposition 68

Opponents of the measure say it's misguided.

"Don’t be fooled by Proposition 68," it's opponents warn in the official argument against the measure written by Coupal and Andrea Seastrand, president of the Central Coast Taxpayers Association. "The proposition promises to protect and improve California’s parks. The truth is it doesn’t. First, of the $4 billion dollar bond, only $1.3 billion is actually dedicated to improving parks. A lot of the remaining money is given to politicians to spend on their pet projects."

The measure would increase the state's debt payments; it would be unfairly distributed; and it fails to address costs of deferred state park maintenance, the further argue.

"Isn’t it wonderful how many great projects that California can build? I’m not here to tell you that addressing drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access is wrong," added Moorlach. "What I want to tell you is that borrowing for them is wrong."

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