California voters will have an opportunity to vote on eight initiatives in the Nov. 8 special election that could shape the future of pregnant teens and their babies, healthcare, education, the political muscle of union employees, legislative redistricting, and the regulation of electric service providers.

California's Catholic bishops have taken a public position on only one of the initiatives. They are urging California Catholics to vote "yes" on Proposition 73, which would require physicians to notify a parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours before performing an abortion on a minor daughter.

More than 30 states already have similar laws. Local Catholic pastors and lay leaders have been educating parishioners on the importance of keeping parents informed and involved in the lives of their teenage daughters.

While the bishops have not taken public positions on other initiatives, one organization with Catholic affiliation has voiced its opposition to Proposition 76, which would tie state spending to state revenue growth, and it would grant broad new authority to the governor to reduce state spending during the year in certain fiscal situations.

Jericho, an interfaith non-partisan public policy organization on behalf of families living in poverty, is urging a "no" vote on Prop. 76. The effect of this constitutional amendment over time, said a Jericho official, will be to reduce state spending on education, healthcare and social services.

"Do we value the safety net for low income people?" asked Social Service Sister Marti McCarthy, executive director of Jericho. Sister McCarthy recently facilitated an educational workshop held at the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Provincial Center in Montebello.

Prop. 76 eliminates the minimum funding guarantee for education by overturning Proposition 98 which voters approved in 1996. As a result, the education budget could be cut by several billion a year, opponents say.

Among the other initiatives:

---Proposition 74 would increase the probationary period for public school teachers from two to five years. It would also modify the dismissal process of permanent teachers so that school districts can dismiss a teacher receiving two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations. The initiative eliminates a teacher's right to a hearing before losing his or her job.

---Proposition 75 would require public employees' unions to seek the consent of individual employees in order to spend a portion of union dues on political contributions.

---Proposition 77 would require that boundaries for political districts be drawn by a three-member panel of retired judges and approved by voters at statewide elections. A "no" vote means that political districts would continue to be drawn by the state legislature and approved by the governor.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is endorsing Propositions 74, 75, 76, and 77 as part of his reform efforts for California. Labor unions oppose Props. 74, 75 and 76, and say the governor is undermining the work of teachers, nurses, police, firefighters and other public employees.

Two competing propositions aim to lower the costs of prescription drugs. The one that garners the most "yes" votes wins:

---Proposition 78 would create a new state discount program to reduce the costs that certain low and moderate income residents pay for prescription drugs. Participation by pharmaceutical companies is voluntary.

---Proposition 79 would also create a state discount program for prescription drugs for low and moderate income residents, and it would prohibit Medi-Cal from contracting with manufacturers that do not offer discounts, thereby creating an enforcement mechanism in the initiative. It also makes prescription drug profiteering illegal.

California is a huge market for pharmaceutical companies, with Medi-Cal spending some $3 billion a year on prescription drugs. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America California Initiative Fund has spent more than $80 million advertising for Prop. 78 and criticizing Prop. 79, saying it will encourage frivolous lawsuits. Organizations like AARP California and The League of Women Voters of California are supporting Prop. 79.

Under Proposition 80, electric service providers will be subject to increased regulation by the California Public Utilities Commission. The aim is to prevent energy blackouts and Enron-type fraud. Those opposed to the measure say it is poorly written and could stall investment in new California power plants.

Editor's note: For more information, see www.cacatholic.org and www.jerichoforjustice.org.