Tom Steyer in Ballotpedia.org political website

On Budget & Economy: Require Rainy Day budget stabilization in state constitution

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 2, Rainy Day Budget Stabilization Fund Act (2014)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $25,000; outcome: Approved
• California Proposition 2, the Rainy Day Budget Stabilization Fund Act (Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1), was on the November 4, 2014 ballot in California as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.
• The measure was approved. The measure was formerly known as Proposition 44.
• Requires an annual deposit of 1.5% of general fund revenues annually.
• Created a distinct budget stabilization fund known as the "Proposition 98 Reserve" or Public School System Stabilization Account (PSSSA). The PSSSA is funded by a transfer of capital gains-related tax revenues in excess of 8% of general fund revenues.
• Funds are appropriated from the PSSSA when state support for K-14 education exceeds the allocation of other available resources.

On Corporations: Supported 2012 income tax increase for multistate businesses

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 39, Income Tax Increase for Multistate Businesses (2012)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $29.58 million; outcome: Approved
• Proposition 39 was on the November 6, 2012 ballot in California as an initiated state statute, where it was approved. Proposition 39 would:
• Requires out-of-state businesses to calculate their California income tax liability based on the percentage of their sales in California.
• Repeals an existing law that gives out-of-state businesses an option to choose a tax liability formula that provides favorable tax treatment for businesses with property and payroll outside California.
• Dedicates $550 million annually for five years from the initiative's anticipated increase in revenue in order to fund projects that "create energy efficiency and clean energy jobs" in California.
• Initially, this extra revenue will go to fund "green" energy projects.

On Crime: More parole opportunities for convicted non-violent felons

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 57, Parole for Non-Violent Criminals and Juvenile Court Trial Requirements (2016)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $1.75 million; outcome: Approved
• Proposition 57 was on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California as a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute. It was approved.
• A "yes" vote supported increasing parole and good behavior opportunities for felons convicted of nonviolent crimes and allowing judges, not prosecutors, to decide whether to try certain juveniles as adults in court.
• A "no" vote opposed this measure increasing parole and good behavior opportunities for felons convicted of nonviolent crimes and favored keeping the current system of having prosecutors decide whether to try certain juveniles as adults in court.

On Crime: Repeal the California death penalty

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 62, Repeal of the Death Penalty (2016)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $1.75 million; outcome: Defeated
• California Proposition 62 was on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California as an initiated state statute. It was defeated.
• A "yes" vote supported repealing the death penalty and making life without the possibility of parole the maximum punishment for murder.
• A "no" vote opposed this measure repealing the death penalty.
• On March 13, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an executive order placing a moratorium on the death penalty.
• President Donald Trump responded to Gov. Newsom's executive order, saying, "Defying voters, the Governor of California will halt all death penalty executions of 737 stone cold killers. Friends and families of the always forgotten VICTIMS are not thrilled, and neither am I!"

On Energy & Oil: Cut greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020

Report on Tom Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 23, the Suspension of AB 32 (2010)
• Steyer Opposed; Steyer spent $5.49 million; outcome: Defeated
• Proposition 23, which would have suspended AB 32, the "Global Warming Act of 2006," was on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California as an initiated state statute, where it was defeated.
• AB 32 was passed by the California State Legislature and signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• AB 32 required that greenhouse gas emission levels in the state be cut to 1990 levels by 2020.
• In their campaigns for and against Proposition 23, supporters and opponents each adopted nicknames for the measure clarifying their respective views of it. Supporters called Proposition 23 the California Jobs Initiative, and opponents called it the Dirty Energy Proposition. Supporters of the measure filed a lawsuit that resulted in a change to the measure's title and summary.

On Environment: Ban single-use plastic bags

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 67, Plastic Bag Ban Veto Referendum (2016)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $50,000; outcome: Approved
• The California Plastic Bag Ban Veto Referendum, also known as Proposition 67, was on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California as a veto referendum. It was approved.
• A "yes" vote supported upholding the contested legislation banning certain plastic bags that was enacted by the California State Legislature as Senate Bill 270.
• A "no" vote opposed banning certain plastic bags and enacting Senate Bill 270.
• The American Progressive Bag Alliance, an opponent of the measure, led the "No" campaign to repeal SB 270.
• Yes on 67, a coalition of environmental groups, grocers, and others, led the "Yes" campaign to uphold SB 270.

On Environment: Regulate confinement of farm animals more humanely

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 2, Standards for Confining Farm Animals (2008)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $25,000; outcome: Approved
• Proposition 2 created a new state statute that prohibits the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. The law was set to go into full effect on January 1, 2015.

On Government Reform: Electoral College votes should reflect popular vote

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Presidential Electoral College Reform Initiative (2008):
• Steyer Opposed; Steyer spent $111,475; outcome: Not on Ballot
• The California Presidential Electoral College Reform Initiative, also known as CERI, or the Presidential Election Reform Act-- PERA--was a proposed ballot measure that would have appeared on the June 2008 California ballot.
• The measure would have changed the way that California allocates its presidential Electoral College votes. Currently, the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in the state gets all 55 of California's electoral college votes. The winner-take-all system would be replaced with one that awards 53 of the state's 55 electoral votes individually to whichever presidential candidate gets the most votes in each congressional district.
• The effort did not make the deadline for the June ballot, however, and was ultimately abandoned.

On Health Care: 2016: Increase cigarette tax by $2 per pack

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 56, Tobacco Tax Initiative (2016)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $1 million; outcome: Approved
• California Proposition 56 was on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California as a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute. It was approved.
• A "yes" vote favored increasing the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with equivalent increases on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
• A "no" vote opposed increasing the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with equivalent increases on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
• The tobacco tax increase went into effect on April 1, 2017.

On Immigration: Allow non-English languages in public schools

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 58, Non-English Languages Allowed in Public Education (2016)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $1.75 million; outcome: Approved
• Senate Bill 1174, also known as Proposition 58, was on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California ballot as a legislatively referred state statute. It was approved.
• A "yes" vote supported repealing most of the 1998 Proposition 227, the "English in Public Schools" Initiative, thus effectively allowing non-English languages to be used in public educational instruction.
• A "no" vote opposed repealing most of Proposition 227, which was designed to prohibit non-English languages from being used in public schools.

On Jobs: Automatic deductions ok for political usage of union dues

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 32, the "Paycheck Protection" Initiative (2012)
• Steyer Opposed; Steyer spent $500,000; outcome: Defeated
• Proposition 32, the "Paycheck Protection" Initiative, was on the November 6, 2012 ballot in California as an initiated state statute, where it was defeated.
• If Proposition 32 had been approved, it would have:
• Banned corporate and union contributions to state and local candidates.
• Banned contributions by government contractors to the politicians who control contracts awarded to them.
• Banned automatic deductions by corporations, unions, and government of employees' wages to be used for politics.

On Tax Reform: Oppose legislative supermajority for raising fees & levies

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 26, Supermajority Vote to Pass New Taxes and Fees (2010)
• Steyer Opposed; Steyer spent $1 million; outcome: Approved
• California Proposition 26, or the Supermajority Vote to Pass New Taxes and Fees Act, was on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment, where it was approved.
• Proposition 26 requires a two-thirds supermajority vote in the California State Legislature to pass any fees, levies, charges and tax revenue allocations that under the state's previous rules could be enacted by a simple majority vote.
• Supporters of Proposition 26 called it the Stop Hidden Taxes initiative, saying that fees, levies, and so on imposed by the California government amount to taxes, and should therefore require the same supermajority vote required to enact income or sales tax increases.

On Tax Reform: Tax surcharge on personal incomes over $250,000

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Proposition 55, Extension of the Proposition 30 Income Tax Increase (2016)
• Steyer Supported; Steyer spent $1.75 million; outcome: Approved
• Proposition 55 was on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment. It was approved.
• A "yes" vote supported extending the personal income tax increases on incomes over $250,000 approved in 2012 for 12 years in order to fund education and healthcare.
• A "no" vote opposed extending the personal income tax increases on incomes over $250,000 approved in 2012 for 12 years, allowing the tax increase to expire in 2019.
• The measure was designed to allocate about 89 percent of revenue from the tax increase to K-12 schools and 11 percent to state community colleges. It was also designed to allocate an additional $2 billion in certain years to Medi-Cal and other health programs.