California lawmakers are trying again to get rid of the nation's only law that lets voters veto public housing projects.
FILE - Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during the Senate session at the Capitol on Jan. 21, 2020, in Sacramento, Calif. Wiener and state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, are backing the repeal of a law added to the state Constitution in 1950 that stops the government from building some affordable housing without voter approval. But to change the law, it requires voter approval and no one has stepped forward to pay for the expensive campaign it takes to convince people to vote for it.
While the state Legislature can pass and repeal laws, it can't change the constitution unless voters also approve it. Putting a proposal on the ballot is pointless unless it is accompanied by a statewide campaign aimed at persuading people to vote for it. Those campaigns can cost $20 million or more because California has some of the nation's most expensive media markets.“It’s not the type of ballot measure that automatically draws in money,” said state Sen.
Once a campaign fails, it often takes years for supporters to muster enough support to try again. The last time supporters tried to repeal California's affordable housing law was nearly three decades ago, in 1993, when it failed with only 40% voting in favor.Supporters were prepared to put the proposal on the 2020 ballot, believing a presidential election year would increase turnout of younger voters and give it a better chance of passing.
The provision has had a major impact on the state's development as California missed out on much of the federal government's abundant public housing spending in the 1950s and 1960s, according to Cynthia Castillo, a policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty. One potential source of funding for the campaign to repeal the law is the California Real Estate Association, now known as the California Association of Realtors. The group was largely responsible for getting the law passed in 1950. Now, it strongly supports repeal, a stance it has maintained for decades, according to Sanjay Wagle, the association's chief lobbyist.
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