Election day does not just involve elections at the federal level, state elections are also important. So I bring to you California propositions that are important to me and my thoughts and recommendations. Proposition information is from the LA Times here.

Proposition 4

Amends the state Constitution to require a physician to notify a minor patient’s parent or other adult family member 48 hours before performing an abortion.

My Vote: Yes …for many reasons, first of which it will reduce abortions, it increases parental responsibility, and it’s overall pro-family. In case you are worried about abusive parents and/or teens doing dangerous things to avoid telling their parents, this proposition contains, the LA Times writes, “the “other adult family member” alternative to answer critics of earlier propositions. It also would require a girl who chooses that alternative to allege parental abuse. The Legislature passed a parental consent law in 1987, but it never took effect. The state Supreme Court upheld it in 1996, but on rehearing — after court membership changed — struck it down. Which is why Proposition 4 is a constitutional amendment”.

Proposition 8

Outlaws same-sex marriage by adding the following words to the state Constitution: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

My Vote: Yes … Normally I would be against this bill as I was against Bush’s 2004 claim to support a federal constitutional ban on gay marriage. I believe that gay marriage, while I ultimately am against it, is a debatable topic that should be left up to the people to decide. Making it a constitutional issue removes it from future public discourse and in the process, removes some of the constitutions time independent nature.

However, in this case the people have decided and voted into law a ban on gay marriage but the Supreme Court - by a split 4-3 decision - decided that they were far wiser and knew more about moral issues than the California citizens, and struck down the law. Leaving California citizens with no other choice but to make a constitutional amendment.

So I am voting Yes On Proposition 8 not so much in support of the constitutional ban itself, but more as a vote against judicial activism, especially the kind that usurps moral issues from the citizens and gives them to 7 unelected justices.

Proposition 9

Amends the state Constitution to give enforceable rights to the families of crime victims.

To be honest, I haven’t researched alot on this but on its face, it sounds reasonable enough. My vote: Yes.

Proposition 10

Authorizes the sale of $5 billion in bonds ($9.8 billion when interest is included) to provide rebates to buyers of natural gas and other alternative fuel vehicles.

This bill is primarily a boom for natural gas providers (in fact, that’s the bills primary supporters) while costing the California tax payers $9.8 billion in a time of deficits and record spending. For more on better ways to accomplish the same environmental goals, see Greg Krehbiel’s post here.

My vote: No.

Proposition 11

Strips the Legislature of its power to draw the lines of Assembly and Senate districts (every 10 years, after new census figures come out) and turns the job over to a 14-member citizens’ commission.

When the founders created the constitution they gave the House of Representatives more power than the Senate because they had assumed that it would be more responsive to the voters. After all, it is scaled to the population of the states and a politicians area usually covers a much smaller area, making him/her more accessible.

What the founders failed to take into account was the way that the very same politicians would gerrymander their way into political office. Protecting themselves from political competition resulting in re-election after re-election, despite record low approval ratings.

I can’t promise that proposition 11 will fix finally this but it’s certainly worth a try. After all, the current system we have now is certainly not working.

My vote: Yes.