There is only one statewide ballot measure before California’s primary voters this year — and it’s an effort meant to increase mental and behavioral health services, particularly for the state’s homeless population.
For Proposition 1, voters are asked whether to authorize a nearly $6.4 billion bond for facilities for mental health or substance abuse treatment.
It is not a new tax; instead, the measure shifts about $140 million in existing tax revenue from counties to the state for mental health, drug and alcohol treatment, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office summary.
Since 2005, California has collected a tax from people with incomes over $1 million and used that money — between $2 billion and $3.5 billion every year — on mental health services. Under this, called the Mental Health Services Act, 95% of that money goes directly to counties to spend on certain types of services.
If Prop 1 is successful in the primary election, the state would get more of that funding (about 5% more) and would have to spend some on increasing the amount of mental health care workers in the state as well as drug and alcohol prevention measures, according to the LAO. Counties would be required to spend more on housing and personalized support services.
An estimated 4,350 housing units (with half earmarked for veterans) and 6,800 spaces for people to receive mental health services would be created if the measure is approved — as well as about 26,700 outpatient treatment slots, according to the California Budget & Policy Center.
The state would have to repay the bonds by $310 million each year for 30 years — a potentially unpalatable figure when the state is already grappling with a nearly $38 billion budget deficit.
Arguments for Prop 1
The Governor’s Office calls it a “re-focus of billions of dollars in existing funds to prioritize Californians with the deepest mental health needs, living in encampments or suffering the worst substance use…
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