Skip to main content

At a Glance: See the Biggest Spenders in California’s Prop Battles

Support Provided By

This story was published Oct. 27, 2020 by CalMatters.

Californians are voting on 12 propositions, but not all are funded equally. Just take a look at that fat slab of lilac in the graphic below.

No surprise for even the most dimly engaged Californians who have been bombarded with ads for weeks now: funding for Proposition 22, a measure to exempt gig-economy companies from a new state labor law, dwarfs just about everything else. To date, its yes campaign has raised nearly $188 million. That’s $3 of every $10 that’s been spent for or against any proposition on the November 2020 ballot. 

Now click that lilac band to zoom in. You’ll see that the majority of that funding is coming from three companies: Uber, Lyft and Doordash. The bulk of opposition funding comes from unions such as the United Food & Commercial Workers and the Service Employees International Union. 

Other big-money battles: 

And if you don’t see Propositions 17 and 18, look closer — they’re there, as slivers. Evidently no deep-pocketed interests want to fight over voting rights for parolees and 17-year-olds.

Via the Post It, CalMatters political reporter Ben Christopher shares frequent updates from the (socially distanced) 2020 campaign trail.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Support Provided By
Read More
A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A Battle Is Underway Over California’s Lucrative Dairy Biogas Market

California is considering changes to a program that has incentivized dairy biogas, to transform methane emissions into a source of natural gas. Neighbors are pushing for an end to the subsidies because of its impact on air quality and possible water pollution.
A Black woman with long, black brains wears a black Chicago Bulls windbreaker jacket with red and white stripes as she stands at the top of a short staircase in a housing complex and rests her left hand on the metal railing. She smiles slightly while looking directly at the camera.

Los Angeles County Is Testing AI's Ability To Prevent Homelessness

In order to prevent people from becoming homeless before it happens, Los Angeles County officials are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict who in the county is most likely to lose their housing. They would then step in to help those people with their rent, utility bills, car payments and more so they don't become unhoused.
blue themed graphic including electric vehicles are charging stations, wind turbines and trees, 2023 in reference to year

A Look Back at Climate Solutions In 2023

The U.S. may have a long way to go in its decarbonization goals, but these stories show signs of progress in climate solutions.