The most depressing news of the night is that Proposition 56 in California is apparently going down to a resounding defeat. The proposition would have decreased the majority required in the legislature to pass a budget from 66% to 55%. Democrats were pushing for the proposition because the Republicans' refusal to accede to any type of tax increase is one of the primary causes of California's massive fiscal crisis.
Voters in California, however, appear to have been deaf to the Democrats' arguments for bringing sanity to the state's budget process. With nearly 13% of the vote in, the proposition was rejected by 63% of statewide voters, including 67% of L.A. county voters. Every county in the state rejected the proposition, except for San Francisco county, where it was narrowly supported.
Meanwhile, Proposition 55, which would have created a $12 billion school bond appears to have been defeated narrowly. Propositions 57 and 58, meanwhile, passed handily. Proposition 57 received strong support from both Governor Schwarzenneger and the democratic party establishment. With 13% reporting Prop 57 had just over 60% support. Support was strongest in suburban areas in southern california--Orange county and parts of L.A. county. It underperformed in the liberal counties around the San Francisco bay and in the ultra-conservative areas north of Sacramento (which featured a primary for California's third congressional district which appears to have been handily won by wingnut Republican Rico Oller). I thik the success of Proposition 57 and its strength among moderate Republican and Democratic area bodes well politically for Governor Schwarzenneger, who was its most ardent supporter (although its success could also be just a result of Feinstein's strong involvement on the issue). Schwarzenneger just scored a major victory.
I am extremely disconcerted about the performance of proposition 56. It seems to me that its rejection was an indication that Southern California suburban voters are very susceptible to the irrational anti-tax arguments that Republicans like to throw around. The anger in California about these fiscal issues does not auger well for Bush's chances in the state because of his fiscal profligacy. However, I am very concerned that when President John Kerry has to work to clean up Bush's fiscal mess after 2004, Republicans might be able to make hay out of his efforts in the volatile political landscape of the golden state.