Decoding California’s May Special Election

Authored by Mark Paul, Senior Scholar, New America Foundation

It’s no easy thing for Californians to figure out exactly what the six measures on the May 19 special election ballot do. For one thing, the Legislature and Governor did their best to hide the real impact of the measures by ordering up some glossy campaign-speak to decorate the titles and summaries on the ballot. It’s easier to sell “budget reform” and “lottery modernization” than a tax increase (Proposition 1A) and more borrowing….