Prop 1 back and forth barely passes

Elections, including referenda on propositions and constitutional
amendments, can be won overwhelmingly or they can be close and undecided
for several weeks.

Surprisingly, Proposition 1, for mental health services on the March 5
ballot, has taken three weeks to reach a consensus on its final
disposition. As of Saturday morning, March 23, “Yes” is leading by
28,000 votes, less than half of a percent, out of 7.2 million ballots
counted. And during this period, the opponents have conceded, reversed
this position, and conceded a second time.

On March 12, the opponents issued a concession statement. At that time,
“Yes” was ahead by 19,600 out of more than 7 million votes.

Six days later, on March 18, Prop 1 opponents withdrew their concession
and revived their campaign against the proposition. At the same time,
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who proposed and strongly supported the proposition,
urged voters to verify that their ballots had been counted.

Californians Against Prop. 1 said it would join Newsom in battling to
get some mail ballots counted after they were rejected over signature
mismatches and other issues.

Their news release stated, “Prop. 1 opponents have overhauled their
campaign website, prop1no.com, to focus on helping voters confirm
whether their ballot was counted, and to help those whose mail ballots
were rejected.”

“We believe all ballots should be counted,” said Paul Simmons, a
director of Californians Against Prop. 1. “We know that many Democrats
voted against Prop. 1, so the governor’s effort is no slam dunk … If
your ballot was rejected, don’t ignore the notice.”

Then on March 20, the Associated Press (AP) called the election,
indicating that the final vote tally would be in favor.

In the news release with the AP’s call, Newsom said, “This is the
biggest reform of the California mental health system in decades and
will finally equip partners to deliver the results all Californians need
and deserve. Treatment centers will prioritize mental health and
substance use support in the community like never before. Now, it’s time
to roll up our sleeves and begin implementing this critical reform —
working closely with city and county leaders to ensure we see results.”

Then, the opponents released their second concession accompanied with
the following statement, “Prop. 1 is not a ‘huge’ win for Gov. Newsom.
It’s an embarrassing squeaker of a victory that contains a strong
warning.”

Proposition 1 is multifaceted. It combines a $6.4 billion bond with
changes to the Mental Health Services Act, initially approved in 2004.
Not only do these proposals intend to provide mental health care and
drug or alcohol treatment to people, a large aspect is aimed at
homelessness.

The next steps are in the bailiwick of the state’s Department of Health
Care Services, which is responsible for developing the policy and
guidance to implement the proposition. This includes support for
counties to understand their new statutory requirements. Guidance will
be released in phases, according to the news release.