Proposition 16 in the

California state elections, June 2010 The California state elections, June 2010 were held on June 8, 2010 and included five propositions and two special elections, one for a State Senate seat and the other for a State Assembly seat. Primary elections for all statewide offices, a s ...

, was an initiative that would have amended the state constitution to require two-thirds supermajority voter approval before local governments could use public funds or issue bonds to establish or expand public electricity service or

community choice aggregation Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), also known as Community Choice Energy, municipal aggregation, governmental aggregation, electricity aggregation, and community aggregation, is an alternative to the investor owned utility energy supply system in ...

. The proposition was rejected by an approximate 5 point margin. Supporters of the proposition dubbed it the "Taxpayers Right to Vote Act". Campaign materials, including statewide network television advertisements, cited a $2.5 billion cost for proposed new public electricity projects, and said that voters should have the final say on how public funds are spent. According to the campaign committee's official financial disclosures, the

Pacific Gas and Electric Company The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 milli ...

contributed $44.1 million of the committee's $44.2 million total receipts. Opponents included municipal power agencies, which were prohibited by law from campaigning against it. Opponents cited a June 2008 study that found that customers of public electricity providers paid lower rates than customers of private utilities. The opposing campaign was outspent 500 to 1, and was conducted largely over the Internet and at local civic events.

Results

The election was marked by low overall voter turnout, with a stronger turnout from

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

voters, due to several high-profile Republican primary contests on the same ballot, and few Democratic primary contests. The

California Republican Party The California Republican Party (CAGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the U.S. state of California. The party is based in Sacramento and is led by chair Jessica Millan Patterson. As of October 2020, Republicans repre ...

endorsed Proposition 16, while the

California Democratic Party The California Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in Sacramento. With 43.5% of the state's registered voters as of 2018, the Democratic Party has the highest number of r ...

Green Party of California The Green Party of California (GPCA) is a California political party. The party is led by a coordinating committee, and decisions are ultimately made by general assemblies. The GPCA is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States (GPUS). ...

, and

Peace and Freedom Party The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a left-wing political party with affiliates and former members in more than a dozen American states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana and Utah, but none now have ballot status besides C ...

opposed it, and the

Libertarian Party of California The Libertarian Party of California (LPC) is the California affiliate of the national Libertarian Party (LP). The party chairwoman is Mimi Robson, and is based in Sacramento, California, in Sacramento County. As of 2016 Libertarians represent a ...

took no position. After the election, a wider, 16 point margin of defeat was noted in the northern and central California counties served by Pacific Gas & Electric, while other counties supported the proposition.

References

External links

Guardian (2010-06-08): California ballot battle pits Pacific Gas and Electric against consumer groups

Secretary of State of California: Voter Guide: Proposition 16
{{CA2010elections 16 Failed amendments to the Constitution of California Initiatives in the United States