As we digest the Election Day results, it’s clear that Californians can take great pride in several huge victories for public health and equity. The state’s voters overwhelmingly supported valuing public health and safety above corporate profits, and investing in improving the community conditions that are at the root of systemic inequities.
Let’s recap:
- Nearly two-thirds of Californians supported the rights of people to feel safe in their communities by instituting the most far-reaching, common-sense gun safety measures in the nation. As the country’s largest state, we expect this victory could inspire not only voter initiatives in other states, but greater confidence and courage among policymakers to take up gun safety legislation and take on the National Rifle Association.
- Nearly two-thirds of Californians voted to increase the statewide tobacco tax. Despite Big Tobacco spending more than $200 million over the past decade to defeat tobacco taxes in our state, Californians chose to get serious about reducing smoking, preventing unnecessary illness and suffering, and saving lives and money.
- Californians voted to put an end to the criminalization of recreational marijuana use that has unjustly targeted communities of color, expended billions of dollars annually on prosecuting and jailing nonviolent drug users and exacerbated our country’s mass incarceration crisis. Prop 64 finally directs our state to approach marijuana use -- and abuse -- from a public health perspective, not a criminal justice one.
- In spite of massive soda industry spending on deceptive advertisements that preyed on the economic anxieties of Bay Area residents, the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany overwhelmingly voted – by majorities between 60% and 71% -- to tax soda and sugary drinks in an effort to address our nation’s diabetes and obesity epidemics. We also applaud Boulder, Colorado, for successfully passing a soda tax this week!
- Los Angeles County voters overwhelmingly passed Measure A, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote physically activity, mental health, and safety, and reverse longstanding park deficits in communities that have historically been left behind in the allocation of these kinds of resources. Over two-thirds of County residents also chose to support Measure M, which will advance a comprehensive plan to improve walking and bicycling conditions directly benefiting the health of people of all ages and abilities by making it easier and safer to get around and be active.
- City of Los Angeles voters, by majorities between 64% and 76%, voted in favor of unprecedented investments in addressing systemic homelessness and providing affordable housing opportunities for those communities being displaced by rising rents and runaway gentrification.
On Election Day, Californians exercised their power to improve health, save lives, and build a more equitable future. To those who advocated for these changes – and those who voted – thank you!