The state’s Catholic bishops have declared their support for two of the 11 propositions on the Nov. 6 ballot, have taken “no position” on seven of them, and have made brief comments on their website concerning the Sales and Income Tax Increase Initiative (Prop. 30) and the Three Strikes Reform Initiative (Prop. 36).By logging onto www.cacatholic.org and clicking on “Initiatives” under the heading “Election 2012 Faithful Citizenship,” online viewers can read short summaries of the text and the arguments of the proponents and opponents of the propositions, as well as relevant Catholic social teaching selected by the bishops.The California Catholic Conference’s website includes the bishops’ statements in support of Proposition 34 (the California End the Death Penalty Act) and Proposition 35 (the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act), designed to strengthen penalties against human trafficking and improve Megan’s Law against online predators). The website also includes video messages in English and Spanish from Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles in support of Proposition 34.For Proposition 30 (the Sales and Income Tax Increase Initiative), the state’s bishops’ only comment was to direct people to their statement, “In Search of the Common Good” posted on the CCC website.As part of their reflections on church teaching concerning Proposition 30, the California bishops quoted from “Economic Justice for All,” n. 202d (1986) by the U.S. bishops: “The tax system should be continually evaluated in terms of its impact on the poor. This evaluation should be guided by three principles. “First, the tax system should raise adequate revenues to pay for the public needs of society, especially to meet the basic needs of the poor. Secondly, the tax system should be structured according to the principle of progressivity, so that those with relatively greater financial resources pay a higher rate of taxation… Thirdly, families below the official poverty line should not be required to pay income taxes.”Regarding Proposition 36 (the Three Strikes Reform Initiative), the bishops noted that they have previously commented positively on the principles contained in Proposition 36 as they supported a similar initiative in 2004 (Proposition 66).In their reflections on church teaching for Proposition 36, the state’s bishops quoted from the U.S. bishops’ 2000 document, “Responsibility, Rehabilitation and Restoration,” n. 38: “We believe a Catholic vision of crime and criminal justice can offer some alternatives. It recognizes that root causes and personal choices can both be factors in crime by understanding the need for responsibility on the part of the offender and an opportunity for their rehabilitation. A Catholic approach leads us to encourage models of restorative justice that seek to address crime in terms of the harm done to victims and communities, not simply as a violation of law.”California’s bishops have taken no position on the following initiatives on the Nov. 6 ballot: Proposition 31 (State Budget); Proposition 32 (Political Contributions); Proposition 33 (Auto Insurance); Proposition 37 (Genetically Engineered Food); Proposition 38 (Tax for Education); Proposition 39 (Tax for Multistate Corporations); and Proposition 40 (Redistricting).