Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Announces Positions on Ballot Initiatives

The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has released its recommendations on 12 statewide ballot initiatives that will be appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“After discussion and deliberation, the Board took supporting or opposing positions on some measures and chose to take no position on others,” the Chamber said in a written statement.

Proposition 14:  The board took no position on Prop. 14, which would authorize $5.5 billion in bonds to fund grants from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine to educational, nonprofit, and private entities for stem cell and other medical research, therapy development, and therapy delivery; medical training; and construction of research facilities.  

Proposition 15: The board strongly opposes Prop. 15, which would end Prop. 13 property tax rate increase limits for commercial properties to generate funds for schools, colleges, and government services. “The Board strongly opposes Proposition 15 because it creates a two-tiered property tax system, undermines Prop. 13 and would be excessively burdensome on business and commercial interests,” according to the Chamber of Commerce statement. “Rents for businesses would increase at a time when many, especially small businesses that lease space, cannot afford any increased costs.”

Proposition 16: The board supports Prop. 16, which would repeal Prop. 209 of 1996, which barred the state from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, contracting, or education. “The Board felt the measure would help provide more opportunity for young people of color to get ahead,” the statement said. “It would provide for educational and work opportunities for more diverse people and help correct previous inequities experienced by people of color.”

Proposition 17: The board took no position on Prop. 17, which would restore voting rights to people convicted of felonies and on parole.

Proposition 18: The board took no position on Prop. 18, which would allow 17-year-old voters to cast ballots in primary elections for which they will be 18 years old at the time of the following general election.

Proposition 19: The board supports Prop. 19, which would allow seniors who sell their homes to maintain the property tax rates of their prior homes. “The Board felt passage would encourage property sales and enable older homeowners to move to smaller homes while maintaining their current property tax burden,” according to the chamber statement.

Proposition 20: The board took no position on Prop.20, which would restrict parole for nonviolent offenders and authorize felony sentences for some crimes currently treated as misdemeanors.

Proposition 21: The board strongly opposes Prop. 21, which would expand the authority of local governments to enact rent control for residential properties. “The Board recognized that rent control depresses housing production and drives market-rate rents up. It becomes an entitlement for those in controlled units,” according to the chamber statement. “Experience across the U.S. shows that rent control does not create new affordable housing.”

Proposition 22: The board supported Prop. 22, which would reclassify many rideshare drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, in response to AB 5, which classified them as employees. It would also restrict local restrictions on rideshare drivers, require background checks for drivers and criminalize impersonating a rideshare driver.

Proposition 23: The board took no position on Prop 23, which would require at least one licensed physician be on-site during kidney dialysis treatment of outpatients, with some potential exemptions; require clinics to report dialysis-related infection date to the state and federal governments, require state approval for clinics to close or reduce services, and bar discrimination based on the source of payment for care.

Proposition 24: The board supports Prop. 24, which would strengthen consumer privacy laws.

Proposition 25: The board took no position on Prop. 25, which would overturn a 2018 law that replaced California’s money bail system with a risk assessment system.