2024 California Proposition 4

Proposition 4

November 5, 2024 (2024-11-05)
Authorizing bonds for safe drinking water, wildlife prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks Authorizes $10 billion in general obligation bonds for water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands. Requires annual audits. Increased state costs of about $400 million annually for 40 years to repay the bond.
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 5,791,642 58.17% No 4,164,004 41.83% Valid votes 9,955,646 100.00% Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00% Total votes 9,955,646 100.00%
County results Congressional district results Yes   80–90%   70–80%   60–70%   50–60% No   60–70%   50–60%
Source: California Secretary of State [1]

Proposition 4, titled Authorizing bonds for safe drinking water, wildlife prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks, was a California ballot proposition and legislative statutes that passed by vote on in the 2024 general election on November 5, 2024.

The proposition "authorize[d] $10 billion in general obligation bonds for water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands." ^{[2] [3]}

Aftermath

Despite the pitch being for new expenditures to be funded by the proposition, over $275 million in Prop 4 funds have been used to backfill the state's general fund. California lawmakers have faced criticism for using a significant amount of Proposition 4 funds as pork, including $16 million for a conservation easement for a private ranch in Santa Barbara, $40 million to secure access to a private beach, and $1 million for an alternative meat research facility at UC Davis. ^[4]

The 2025-2026 California Spending Plan sets forth the broad allocations of the proceeds of the bonds with $3.5 billion allocated for the first year implementation:

1. Safe Drinking Water, Drought, Flood and Water Resilience - $1.2 billion of $3.8 billion;
2. Wildfire and Forest Resilience - $598 million of $1.5 billion;
3. Coastal Resilience - $279 million of $1.2 billion;
4. Biodiversity and Nature-Based Climate Solutions - $390 million of $1.2 billion;
5. Clean Energy - $275 million of $850 million;
6. Park Creation and Outdoor Access - $466 million of $700 million;
7. Extreme Heat Mitigation - $110million of $450 million; and
8. Climate Smart Agriculture- $153 million of $300 million ^[5]

See also

• 2024 United States ballot measures
• List of California ballot propositions

References

1. "California General Election November 5, 2024: State Ballot Measures - Statewide Results: Proposition 4" . Retrieved November 7, 2024.
2. "California Proposition 4, Parks, Environment, Energy, and Water Bond Measure (2024)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
3. "Wayback Machine". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2025-12-08. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
4. Sabalow, Ryan (2025-11-07). "California lawmakers sent millions to their districts while making budget cuts elsewhere". CalMatters. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
5. "The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Proposition 4". lao.ca.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-29.