SAN FRANCISCO California voters were in a bonding mood Tuesday, passing an unprecedented $3 billion state bond issue to fund stem cell research, as well as most of the local bond issues put before them.
The stem cell measure, Proposition 71, coasted to an easy victory. It authorizes $3 billion in general-obligation bonds to finance medical research using stem cells.
This is an historic victory for the people of California and for the millions of families suffering from disease or injury, said Robert Klein, co-chair of Yes on 71. There is no doubt in my mind that the mission Californians accepted today is a critical first step in changing the face of human suffering forever.
The campaign was launched by advocates of embryonic stem-cell research who are unhappy with the limits President Bush placed on federal funding for such research.Critics of the proposal, who never raised much money, included abortion opponents, fiscal conservatives and people who feared that embryonic stem-cell research could lead to human cloning, despite safeguards the measures proponents say were built in to the measure.
California voters also endorsed a $750 million state bond measure that will finance grants to eight childrens hospitals and University of California childrens hospital services.
The states voters were in a very accommodating mood when presented with school bond requests, and approved several other large local bond measures.
All 10 community-college bond measures on the ballot were successful, generating a total of $1.4 billion in general-obligation bond authorizations.
Of 51 K-12 school bond issues compiled by The Bond Buyer, 45 succeeded, resulting in more than $2 billion in bond authorizations.
The biggest K-12 measure on the ballot was a $315 million request from the Santa Clara Unified School District, which won handily with 72% of the vote.
The biggest measure to go down was the second bond-election defeat this year for the Orange Unified School District in Orange County. The $196 million measure won a little more than 54% of the vote but required 55% to win.
On a smaller note, the 38-student Graves Union School District approved its $180,000 bond authorization request by 10 votes to three, according to unofficial Monterey County returns.
Voters appear to have approved several other sizable local bond measures for purposes other than schools, despite a formidable requirement for a two-thirds majority.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit District won a $980 million general obligation bond measure, secured by property taxes in the three-county district. The money will be used to improve earthquake safety on the rail system.
In Los Angeles, voters approved a $500 million GO bond issue to finance projects to relieve storm water runoff, and voters in north San Diego County voted in favor of two different GO bonds.
They approved a $496 million measure for the Palomar Pomerado Health District to construct a new hospital, as well as an $84 million Escondido city measure for fire and police facilities.
Notable bond losers were in San Francisco: a $200 million proposal for affordable housing and a $60 million proposal for historic preservation.
The citys voters also rejected sales tax and business tax increases sought by Mayor Gavin Newsom to balance the citys budget.
Voters in the state of Washington might have to wait another week before a victor is declared in that states election for governor.
About 1,000 votes out of almost 2 million cast separated Democrat Christine Gregoire from Republican Dino Rossi yesterday morning, with many mail-in votes still uncounted. Incumbent Democrat Gary Locke chose not to run for a third term.
The states biggest local bond issue, a $117 million GO authorization to repair streets in Spokane, won with almost 61% of the vote.
In Montana, Brian Schweitzer became the first Democrat in 20 years to win the governors race, while voters in Gallatin County approved a $10 million bond to finance open-space purchases.
Voters in Cheyenne rejected the only bond measure in the Wyoming, which wouldve authorized the city to issue up to $10 million in revenue bonds to strengthen storm drainage systems.
In Oregon, voters approved at least 15 local general obligation bond measures and rejected at least 12.
The largest of the measures was a $39.7 million school bond for the Canby School District, which passed. The second-largest proposal, $38.8 million for the North Santiam School District, was defeated.
Jasmina Kelemen contributed to this story.
