Know Before You Vote: SWCLC’s 2026 Ballot Measure Positions

With the legislative session now behind us, the focus shifts to the November 3 General Election and the fourteen statewide ballot measures voters will be asked to decide. The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto the bills that reached his desk, and any measure he takes no action on becomes law automatically. As that deadline approaches, the Southwest California Legislative Council has turned its attention to the ballot, reviewing each of the fourteen qualified measures against its legislative platform and priorities to determine where it can offer a recommended position to its members and the broader business community.

In reviewing the fourteen measures, the Council is recommending a ‘Support’ position on Propositions 2, 37, 41, 42, 43, and 45; an ‘Oppose’ position on Propositions 3, 38, 40, and 44; and has taken ‘No Position’ on Propositions 1, 4, 5, and 39, as those measures fall outside the Council’s core platform areas.

Starting with the measures the Council supports, Proposition 2, the Save for California’s Future Act, doubles the state’s constitutional reserve cap from ten to twenty percent of General Fund revenue, building a larger cushion against the kind of revenue volatility California has experienced in recent years. Proposition 37 authorizes CalHFA to issue bonds for a second mortgage program aimed at helping first-time buyers purchase newly constructed homes, with repayment coming from borrowers rather than the general fund. Proposition 41 requires the State Auditor to review citizen-initiated special tax measures before they appear on the ballot, giving voters independent analysis in the voter pamphlet. Proposition 42 constitutionally prohibits new state taxes on retirement accounts, stocks, business interests, and digital assets, providing planning certainty for individuals and businesses alike. Proposition 43 restores the two-thirds voter threshold for citizen-initiated local special taxes, reversing a 2017 court ruling that had allowed such taxes to pass with a simple majority. Proposition 45 establishes hard deadlines for environmental review of housing, transportation, water, and energy projects, reducing the years-long delays that have slowed critical infrastructure in California.

On the measures the Council opposes, Proposition 3 makes permanent the high-income tax surcharge that voters were told was temporary, extending a rate of up to twelve percent on income above $721,000 without returning to voters for another approval. Proposition 38 authorizes $8.4 billion in bonds for a UC-affiliated immunology research institute, with a pricing mandate requiring resulting treatments to be sold to California patients at twenty percent below the national average price. Proposition 40 imposes a one-time five percent wealth tax on roughly two hundred California billionaires, creating a new tax category on assets that could expand over time. Proposition 44 requires health centers serving Medi-Cal patients to spend ninety percent of their revenue on direct patient care, a formula the Council believes understates actual care-related spending and could harm clinic operations.

The remaining four measures fall outside the Council’s core platform areas, and no position has been taken on those. Proposition 1 authorizes $11.25 billion in bonds for affordable housing and veteran home loans. Proposition 4 repeals California’s longstanding ban on public financing of political campaigns and authorizes voluntary matching-fund programs. Proposition 5 changes how recall elections work by eliminating the simultaneous successor election and leaving a recalled seat vacant to be filled by a separate election or succession process. Proposition 39 requires photo identification to vote in person and mandates annual citizenship database checks.

The Council always encourages voters to do their own research and reach their own conclusions, and a full description of each measure is available at https://ballotpedia.org/California_2026_ballot_propositions. The recommended positions reflect where the Council’s platform and the interests of the Southwest Riverside County business community align with, or diverge, from what is being proposed. If you have questions about any of the measures or the Council’s positions, feel free to reach out.

As always, things are very busy across the region, but I will keep you all as updated as possible.

Until next time…

Adam A. Ruiz

Vice President

Rincon Strategies