2024 California Proposition 4
2024 referendum
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Proposition 4, titled Authorizing bonds for safe drinking water, wildlife prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks, was a California ballot proposition and legislative statutes that passed by vote on in the 2024 general election on November 5, 2024.
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November 5, 2024
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Authorizing bonds for safe drinking water, wildlife prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks Authorizes $10 billion in general obligation bonds for water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands. Requires annual audits. Increased state costs of about $400 million annually for 40 years to repay the bond. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: California Secretary of State[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
The proposition "authorize[d] $10 billion in general obligation bonds for water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands."[2][3]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Yes | No | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Institute of California[4] | October 7–15, 2024 | 1,137 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 60% | 38% | 2% |
| University of Southern California/CSU Long Beach/Cal Poly Pomona[5] | September 12–25, 2024 | 1,685 (LV) | ± 2.4% | 60% | 24% | 16% |
| Public Policy Institute of California[6] | August 29 – September 9, 2024 | 1,071 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 65% | 33% | 2% |
Aftermath
Despite the pitch being for new expenditures to be funded by the proposition, over $275 million in Prop 4 funds have been used to backfill the state's general fund. California lawmakers have faced criticism for using a significant amount of Proposition 4 funds as pork, including $16 million for a conservation easement for a private ranch in Santa Barbara, $40 million to secure access to a private beach, and $1 million for an alternative meat research facility at UC Davis.[7]
The 2025-2026 California Spending Plan sets forth the broad allocations of the proceeds of the bonds with $3.5 billion allocated for the first year implementation:
- Safe Drinking Water, Drought, Flood and Water Resilience - $1.2 billion of $3.8 billion;
- Wildfire and Forest Resilience - $598 million of $1.5 billion;
- Coastal Resilience - $279 million of $1.2 billion;
- Biodiversity and Nature-Based Climate Solutions - $390 million of $1.2 billion;
- Clean Energy - $275 million of $850 million;
- Park Creation and Outdoor Access - $466 million of $700 million;
- Extreme Heat Mitigation - $110million of $450 million; and
- Climate Smart Agriculture- $153 million of $300 million[8]
See also
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear