Props 30 and 38 Explained - Which Do You Support?

Ever since Hiram Johnson and his fellow Progressives made ballot initiatives a part of the California political landscape 100 years ago, the state’s voters have been obliged to grasp some fairly slippery policy issues before casting their votes. Propositions 30 and 38 on the November ballot are representative of the thorny problems other states assign to their legislators, but in California are punted to voters as popular referendums. 

Both propositions seek to send more money to the state’s public schools, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

We have the details about the fiscal impact each proposition could have on the Ross Valley School District.

But for typical voters, even those who care deeply about public education, deciphering the long-term and state-wide consequences of a simple for or against vote could require hours sifting through the arcana of school finance.

Fortunately, the folks at EdSource did the hard work for us. They’ve prepared an infographic to explain the two propositions in a clear and illustrative format. As EdSource’s executive director Louis Freedberg noted in his accompanying blog, when voters are confused, they tend to vote against propositions—even propositions they might have supported had they possessed more knowledge.

See EdSource's infographic as a downloadable PDF attached to this article in the photos section above.

Voters seeking yet more info on the initiatives can visit the Official Voter Information Guide, as well as analyses from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the California Budget Project, the League of Women Voters, and the Silicon Valley Education Foundation. They can also go to the official campaign websites of Prop. 30 and Prop. 38.

Since 1977, EdSource has been informing Californians about challenges facing the state's public schools. 

So tell us in the comments: which Proposition(s) are you voting yes on? 

Other proposition related content on Patch:

• Prop 30 vs. Prop 38: How They Could Impact Ross Valley Schools
• Props 34 and 36 Would Make Major Changes to Punishment for Serious Crimes
• Where Do You Stand: GMO Labeling and Prop. 37
• Prop. 39 Seeks to Close $1B Tax Loophole for Multi-State Corporations
• Are You Concerned About GMOs? Vote in Our Poll

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