California Governor Gavin Newsom called for support for Proposition 1 on the March 5, 2024 ballot during a press conference at Los Angeles General Medical Center on Wednesday, January 3, 2023. The proposal would overhaul California’s mental health funding system, with a $6.4 billion bond to expand access for hundreds of thousands of Californians, fund substance abuse treatment, and address the mental health crisis. It will help get people in distress off the streets and into care. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Prop. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $6.4 billion mental health bond, received a close vote with 50.1% of voters in favor and 49.9% opposed, according to the latest results released Friday afternoon by the Secretary of State’s Office. It has become.
At the time, about 13,000 votes stood between passing and rejecting the proposal in a state with 22 million registered voters.
See the latest election results.
The proposal is one of only a few remaining close races relevant to voters in Los Angeles County.
Incumbents on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Holly Mitchell, Janice Hahn, and Kathryn Berger all maintain strong majorities and are expected to win their seats in the primary.
District 4 Supervisor Hahn declared victory Friday, saying enough votes have been counted to claim outright victory for former Sheriff Alex Villanueva and another candidate.
Hahn held a 27 percentage point lead with 57% of the vote, compared to the one-time Los Angeles County sheriff who received 29% of the vote. Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank came in third with 14.2% of the vote.
Hahn won 29 of the 32 cities in the 4th District, according to campaign consultant David Jacobson. In his statement, Hahn noted that Villanueva lost the sheriff’s seat to Robert Luna in November 2022, after serving one term, and defeated a “two-time loser.” said.
Reached at his home Friday night, Villanueva said he was not making concessions and was waiting for the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office to crunch all the numbers. However, it is impossible to make up for the nearly 30% deficit.
“I don’t agree with her,” he said. “No, I won’t budge. She seems very eager to move on.”
In the Los Angeles County District Attorney race, progressive incumbent George Gascón is poised to face tough-on-crime former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman.
Multiple news sources, including the New York Times and the Associated Press, reported that the U.S. Senate race was won by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, and Republican Rep. Steve Garvey, a former Dodger.
But for suggestion 1, it could take days or even weeks to see results. The Secretary of State’s Office will continue to provide regular updates and final certification of the election, scheduled for April 12th.
Newsom proposed the proposal as a way to “fix our broken mental health system and provide needed care to people living on the streets and struggling with substance abuse.”
It has a two-pronged approach. First, it would direct $4.4 billion to fund 10,000 mental health beds and $2 billion for homeless housing projects, half of which would be set aside for veterans with mental illness and substance use issues.
Second, counties would be required to spend 30% of their revenue from the Mental Health Services Act on housing. The voter-approved law would generate $2 billion to $3.5 billion annually for mental health services by imposing a 1% tax on income over $1 million.
Newsom has garnered significant support for his proposal, raising about $21 million to advance it. The bond measure has support from the California National Alliance on Mental Illness, the California Teachers Association, and the California Chamber of Commerce.
Still, voter enthusiasm for the bonds fell short of his expectations.
While some mental health advocates oppose the proposal because it could potentially fund involuntary treatment for people with mental illness, many voters are primarily concerned about cost. said Jamie Regalado, professor emeritus of political science at CSU Los Angeles.
If passed, the state would have to repay $310 million in state debt each year for 30 years, a number that would be a potential nuisance at a time when the state is already struggling with a budget deficit of nearly $38 billion. This may result in an unfavorable number.
Another factor working against Newsom was the demographics of primary voters, Regalado added.
“Traditionally, it’s the older, conservative voters, meaning Republicans and independents who lean toward Republican candidates, who are going to be the ones who are going to be in hell or high water,” he said. “Democratic voters tend to be more fickle, younger and more transient.”
Conservative voters were more likely to dislike increased government spending.
Matt Lesenier, an assistant professor of political science at CSU Long Beach, agreed, noting that the proposal would likely be more favorable in the general election if a broader electorate were identified.
“Mr. Newsom had the option of introducing the proposal in November, which would have been easier to pass, but he chose this because he believed he could dominate the airwaves.” “That decision almost cost him dearly.”
The remaining ballots will determine whether the governor made a bad decision.
