2008 Woodie Awards
'Blanket Ballot' Measure Passes; Other Propositions Split Evenly
Gov. Schwarzenegger-supported measure passes, despite opposition from within his own party.
LaGina Phillips
Issue date: 11/3/04 Section: News
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California voters decided on many propositions, including the controversial stem cell research proposition, the re-writing of the "Three Strikes" law and the revenues from Indian Casinos.
Proposition 71 - Stem Cell Research
This controversial measure passed with 64 percent of the vote.
Stem Cell Research Funding will establish a constitutional right to perform stem-cell research, with the funds for the research coming from the sale of $3 billion in state bonds. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the many supporters of Proposition 71.
Proposition 66 - Limitations on "Three Strikes" Law
This measure passed with 56 percent of the vote.
"Three Strikes" will require increased sentences of 25 years when the current conviction is for a specified violent or serious felony. It also redefines violent and serious felonies to mean that only when a prior conviction is specified as a violent or serious felony, brought and tried separately, would it qualify for second and third "strike" sentence increases. This law will allow conditional re-sentencing of people with sentences under the current "Three Strikes" law if previous sentencing offenses or prior convictions, would no longer qualify as violent or serious felonies. The proposition will also increase punishment for specified sex crimes against children.
Proposition 70 - Tribal Gaming Compacts
Proposition 70 failed to pass gaining only 26 percent of the vote.
This measure would have allowed any federally recognized tribe to operate as many casinos and as many slot machines as it wanted on its land, along with currently prohibited games such as craps and roulette. In return, the tribes would share their casinos' net revenues with the state, at a level equivalent to the corporate tax rate, which is currently 8.8 percent.
For most tribes, the current limit of a maximum of two casinos and 2,000 slot machines has posed few difficulties. Fewer than 20 tribes are at or near the 2,000-slot limit, and only one tribe operates the maximum of two casinos. Though, for most of those "big casino" tribes, the limits have posed very real problems.
Proposition 68 - Non-Tribal Commercial Gambling Expansion
Eighty percent of voters said no to Proposition 68.
Proposition 68 would have authorized a group of 16 card rooms and racetracks to operate a total of up to 30,000 slot machines, unless Indian casino tribes agreed to share 25 percent of their slot machine revenue with local programs.
Proposition 69 - DNA Sample Collection
Proposition 69 passed with 66 perecnt of the vote. This proposition will force people convicted of any felony to give a DNA sample, which could be used by law enforcement to identify and convict criminals. Current law only requires those convicted of a serious felony to render a sample.
Criminal penalties, such as fees for traffic tickets, would go up to help pay to keep track of more DNA samples.
Proposition 71 - Stem Cell Research
This controversial measure passed with 64 percent of the vote.
Stem Cell Research Funding will establish a constitutional right to perform stem-cell research, with the funds for the research coming from the sale of $3 billion in state bonds. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the many supporters of Proposition 71.
Proposition 66 - Limitations on "Three Strikes" Law
This measure passed with 56 percent of the vote.
"Three Strikes" will require increased sentences of 25 years when the current conviction is for a specified violent or serious felony. It also redefines violent and serious felonies to mean that only when a prior conviction is specified as a violent or serious felony, brought and tried separately, would it qualify for second and third "strike" sentence increases. This law will allow conditional re-sentencing of people with sentences under the current "Three Strikes" law if previous sentencing offenses or prior convictions, would no longer qualify as violent or serious felonies. The proposition will also increase punishment for specified sex crimes against children.
Proposition 70 - Tribal Gaming Compacts
Proposition 70 failed to pass gaining only 26 percent of the vote.
This measure would have allowed any federally recognized tribe to operate as many casinos and as many slot machines as it wanted on its land, along with currently prohibited games such as craps and roulette. In return, the tribes would share their casinos' net revenues with the state, at a level equivalent to the corporate tax rate, which is currently 8.8 percent.
For most tribes, the current limit of a maximum of two casinos and 2,000 slot machines has posed few difficulties. Fewer than 20 tribes are at or near the 2,000-slot limit, and only one tribe operates the maximum of two casinos. Though, for most of those "big casino" tribes, the limits have posed very real problems.
Proposition 68 - Non-Tribal Commercial Gambling Expansion
Eighty percent of voters said no to Proposition 68.
Proposition 68 would have authorized a group of 16 card rooms and racetracks to operate a total of up to 30,000 slot machines, unless Indian casino tribes agreed to share 25 percent of their slot machine revenue with local programs.
Proposition 69 - DNA Sample Collection
Proposition 69 passed with 66 perecnt of the vote. This proposition will force people convicted of any felony to give a DNA sample, which could be used by law enforcement to identify and convict criminals. Current law only requires those convicted of a serious felony to render a sample.
Criminal penalties, such as fees for traffic tickets, would go up to help pay to keep track of more DNA samples.
