11 PROPOSITIONS MAKE IT ONTO NOVEMBER STATE BALLOT

Measures Run Gamut From Same-Sex Marriage to Livestock Treatment

SACRAMENTO - Barack Obama and John McCain may grab most of the
headlines, but California voters will have a lot more to chew on than
the presidential race this political season.

Eleven propositions have now made the Nov. 4 ballot, on issues
ranging from same-sex marriage and abortion to alternative energy to
the treatment of farm animals.

As of the secretary of state's announcement last week, it is now too
late for more citizen initiatives - which constitute all but one of
the measures to date. But the Legislature may add more measures
before all is said and done.

"There's something for everyone," said San Jose State University
political science Professor Larry Gerston.

Several of the measures seek big dollars for ambitious new projects -
a potentially tough sell in the midst of the economic slowdown.
Voters will be asked to authorize nearly $10 billion in borrowing to
help pay for a high-speed train (Proposition 1, placed on the ballot
by the Legislature) that would shuttle people from San Francisco to
Los Angeles in under three hours. A $5 billion bond initiative
(Proposition 10) would provide subsidies to people who buy
alternative- and clean-fuel cars, as well as grants for renewable
energy research. Proposition 3 seeks approval for a nearly $1 billion
bond for children's hospitals.

Others touch on hot-button social issues, including, most notably of
late, same-sex marriage. An initiative that would amend the state
constitution to recognize only marriages between a man and a woman
has been assigned as Proposition 8. Another controversial measure
(Proposition 4) would bar abortions for females under 18 until after
their parents or legal guardians have been notified. Similar efforts
were defeated at the ballot box in 2005 and 2006.

Three of the initiatives wade into criminal law. Proposition 5 would
boost treatment programs for non-violent drug offenders, and make it
harder to send them back to prison or jail for parole violations.

Proposition 6 would force the state to increase spending on anti-gang
programs, at a cost likely to exceed $500 million annually. And
Proposition 9 focuses on crime victims: It would require courts to
consider their safety in bail and parole proceedings involving perpetrators.

Other measures would invoke the state's regulatory authority.
Proposition 7 would require utilities to generate one-fifth of their
power from renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, by 2010.
The mandate would increase to 40 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2025.

Proposition 11 would create a 14-member panel to redraw the state's
legislative district lines and reduce gerrymandering.

One of the more eye-catching initiatives on the roster is Proposition
2, which seeks to curb inhumane treatment of farm animals, such as
egg-laying hens or pregnant pigs. Enclosures would have to be large
enough so the animals can "fully extend their limbs or wings, lie
down, stand up, and turn around." A violation would be treated as a
misdemeanor, carrying a fine up to $1,000 or up to a half-year in jail.

If history is any guide, it's likely that most of the November
measures will go down in defeat. A Mercury News analysis last year
found that more than 90 percent of ballot measures over the previous
decade lost when opponents spent at least $1 million.

If that weren't deflating enough, proponents will have to figure out
how to grab voters' attention in the midst of an historic race for president.

"The question is how much the public will pay attention," Gerston
said. "There's going to be a lot of noise. The TV is going to be
flooded with campaign commercials."

But initiative backers are upbeat. Jennifer Fearing, the campaign
manager for the animal rights measure, predicted that voting yes on
the initiative will be a fairly easy call for people.

"This is a modest proposal to alleviate animal suffering," she said.
"Amid all the controversy, we feel like we're bringing one to the
voters that ought to be a no-brainer."