Introducing IAC’s 2024 Voter Guide
by Shannon Camacho, Senior Policy Associate
At IAC, we advance economic justice policy by building the power of our clients, community partners, and historically excluded communities to break open opportunities in this economy, while also building the foundation for a new economy where all communities can thrive. The work to make a more inclusive economy happens in multiple spaces – in the community, in the legislature, and importantly, at the ballot box.
That’s why we created an Inclusive Action Voter Guide this year, available in both English and Spanish! Our goal is to educate the public and increase their confidence by providing voter recommendations on state propositions and local ballot measures. We hope to empower and encourage folks to vote for policies that uplift economic justice and take into account the communities we work alongside.
Click the image to receive the voter guide.
Developing our Voter Guide
As an economic justice organization, IAC is committed to advocating for policies that open up economic opportunities for our community, and improve access to vital services such as housing, medical care, and social safety net protections. We work with small business owners, microentrepreneurs, street vendors, and other groups that historically have been excluded by our governments and financial systems. That is why we support progressive policies that improve the social and economic livelihoods of these groups, many of whom are immigrants and lower-income.
When deciding which propositions and ballot measures to endorse, we took a close look at the language and estimated the social & economic impacts of these policies to assess whether the policy would be beneficial to our communities. Through our analysis, we have determined a set of voter guide recommendations that we believe would improve the lives of workers in LA County and increase programs & services to reduce economic inequality.
To determine how these policies will affect our community members, it is important to understand the layout of LA County and the needs of its residents. With a total population of over 9.8 million, LA County is one of the most populous and diverse regions in the entire country.1 Unfortunately, LA County also has one of the highest poverty rates in the state, with 15.5% of all LA County residents currently living in poverty.2
Additionally, although our county is so diverse, many groups, such as undocumented immigrants, do not have access to the same opportunities and resources as U.S.-born residents. Within LA County, 8% of immigrant residents are undocumented, and their median hourly wage is $15, compared to $27 for U.S.-born residents.3 Although LA County is the 20th largest economy in the entire world, many residents, especially immigrants, still report a lack of access to vital services such as social safety net programs.4 In fact, 25% of all immigrants surveyed felt that they do not have adequate access to County services in their preferred language.5
Our economic inequality is intertwined with our catastrophic housing crisis. An estimated 75,000 people in LA County are currently experiencing homelessness.6 Thousands more are living on the verge of homelessness. An estimated 56% of U.S.-born households in LA County experience a rent burden – paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs – and that proportion is much higher for undocumented households at 67%.7
We believe that state and local policies should uplift and provide for all communities, regardless of immigration status or socioeconomic status. Poverty, homelessness, and inequitable resources are issues that LA County must address to ensure that all residents have the opportunity to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We must support policies that tackle these issues and their root causes.
Why this year’s ballot is especially important
There are important issues on the ballot this year: rent control, changes to our criminal justice system, funding opportunities for housing and public infrastructure, and more. Our IAC Ballot Guide provides a summary and recommendation for all ten measures and initiatives that we have prioritized. Here are a couple that are particularly important to IAC and the communities we work alongside.
Rising rents have contributed to increased homelessness among BIPOC, lower-income, and immigrant residents in LA County. Proposition 33 would give cities and counties more power to enact stronger rent control policies to protect tenants from rapidly increasing rent costs. For these reasons, IAC endorses Prop 33 so we can increase rent control ordinances, and reduce homelessness and rising rent costs in our state.
Not every proposition on the ballot is a good one. Proposition 36 seeks to amend Prop 47, which was passed in 2014, by extending the “three strikes” style tough on crimes sentencing on low-level, nonviolent drug and theft offenses. This measure would take us back to an era of mass incarceration instead of getting more resources and support for incarcerated people. Additionally, Prop 36 would divert $100 million annually from crucial mental health and addiction treatment, housing, violence prevention programs, and victim services. We strongly oppose this policy, as it would create more unfair policing practices and contribute to higher incarceration rates in our communities, and increase the risk of deportation for immigrants.
In LA County, Measure A aims to increase revenue to address the housing crisis through the increase of the sales tax from 0.25 cents to 0.5 cents. Measure A replaces Measure H, which is set to expire in 2027, increasing funding for housing and mental health services for unhoused residents in LA. We support Measure A to increase life-saving housing and mental health programs.
In the City of L.A., Measures DD and LL will improve political representation by creating an independent redistricting commission to redraw the lines for LA City Council districts (Measure DD), and LAUSD school districts (Measure LL), in order to fight corruption and ensure that our historically underrepresented communities have the opportunity to advocate for more resources such as housing, transportation, economic development, and more.
We created this year’s voter guide to make sure that our communities are aware and informed on the state propositions and local ballot measures for this 2024 election season, and to provide recommendations on policies that have the potential to improve the lives of LA County residents. We hope to continue to empower and encourage folks to vote for policies that uplift economic justice and look forward to this year’s election and the ones to follow. Please review our Voter Guide, share it with your friends and family, and reach out with any questions!
Endnotes:
1. Los Angeles County. L.A. County By the Numbers. 2023. https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/lac/1139128_LACountyBytheNumbers.pdf.2. Public Policy Institute of California, "Poverty in California," October 2023, https://www.ppic.org/publication/poverty-in-california/.
3. Immigrant Data California. “Median Hourly Wage.” https://immigrantdataca.org/indicators/median-hourly-wage?geo=04000000000006037&breakdown=by-status.
4. Los Angeles County. L.A. County By the Numbers. 2023. https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/lac/1139128_LACountyBytheNumbers.pdf.
5. USC Equity Research Institute. SOILA 2024: State of Latino America. 2024. https://dornsife.usc.edu/eri/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2024/07/Final_SOILA2024_Full_Report_v3.pdf.
6. Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. “Forward Momentum with 2024 Homeless Count.” Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. https://homeless.lacounty.gov/news/forward-momentum-with-2024-homeless-count/.
7. USC Equity Research Institute. SOILA 2024: State of Latino America. 2024. https://dornsife.usc.edu/eri/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2024/07/Final_SOILA2024_Full_Report_v3.pdf.