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With the exception of the marijuana initiative (which was an intensely bad version of legalization), California seems to have voted pretty wisely on the remaining ballot initiatives as well.
Prop 20 passed - so the redistricting commission voted in by the public not long ago to take that vital function away from the gerrymandering legislature will now have its work apply to U.S. Congressional districts in California, in addition to state legislature districts. There's some weirdities in this law as well that are not so hot, but overall an improvement over the guaranteed incumbency of many Congressional seats.
The related proposition, Prop 27, was defeated. Good. This would have put that redistricting commission entirely out of business, before its even begun to work on state districts - much less the Congressional districts that it will now also have purview over.
Prop 21 was defeated - apparently California voters don't want to save state parks if it means paying $18 more per year on their car registration, or perhaps they reasonably don't believe that their $18 will go towards any such thing when it comes down to it. Either way, not our best moment this election - but not a biggie.
Prop 22 passed - prohibiting the legislature from taking funds which voters have earmarked for transportation, redistricting and certain local government projects and using those to plug the swiss cheese holes in the general budget by spending those monies on other things entirely.
Prop 23 was defeated - this was the other biggie on the ballot, the oil company measure to roll-back the recently-enacted clean air and energy regulations that California has become duly famous and beaconish for. I'm not sure it's sad when only 26% of the people vote when it's entirely possible that only 26% of the people are smart enough to. It's a really good thing this measure failed, despite vast monies spent by oil companies.
Also a biggie, Prop 25 passed - now at least the state budget can be passed with a simple majority vote. It's a step towards inching away from the total gridlock which has paralyzed our state government for decades. But of course, the real power - the power to tax - remains mired in a two-thirds majority requirement. And speaking of which ...
The other low point in the ballot measure results - Prop 26 passed - which will transform most fees and charges to oil and energy companies into taxes that must be approved by a two-thirds majority (and thus will never be levied). This is a big win for oil companies, which I think sneaked-in under the wire while the public was focused on Prop 23. Let's see how much the voters enjoy this when the next big oil spill happens off the Long Beach coast and the offending oil company is not required to pay for clean-up.
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