California citizens will be voting on Proposition Prop 30 on Tuesday, Nov 8, 2022 ballots.
The proposition advocates for bringing more funding towards electric cars, charging stations, and
their infrastructures. The law would create an additional tax of 1.75% for individuals who make
over two million dollars a year. If it’s passed, the expected year for it to go into effect is 2033.
“We need to accelerate the electrification of California,” said Neil Chase, the Chief Executive
officer of CalMatters. “The proposition’s main idea is to tax the most wealthy people and make
better electric cars, not burn fossil fuels, and have a healthier environment for our kids.”
Approximately 66 million dollars were raised from both supporters and non-supporters. 47
million dollars went into supporting it, while 19 million went into advocating against it.
A primary donor and supporter of the proposition is the ridesharing company Lyft. The company
donated 40 million dollars which goes to creating ads and getting people to sign the ballots.
Previous laws have been made revolving around gas emissions in California. The sale of
gas-powered vehicles will be stopped in 2035, and ride-sharing companies such as Lyft and Uber
are required to make 90% of their vehicles electric by 2030.
While most democrats are in favor of the law, Governor Gavin Newsom has been openly against
the law and took part in making a video advertisement.
The process of creating electric cars can be deemed as harmful, as lithium is a rare and expensive
material that is heavily used for the batteries operating them. Lithium mining can cause
environmental damage.
“Prop 30 is a special interest tax grab masquerading as a climate initiative,” said Toby Boyd, the president of the California Teachers Association. “[It] was specifically designed to go around the minimum school funding law.
Voters will receive their ballots through the mail and have until Nov. 8 to make their decision.