"They had a narrow base of support and ours was broad," said Tom Adams, president of the California League of Conservation Voters, who noted that the California Chamber of Commerce and California Building Industry Assn. joined with environmental groups and progressive organizations to oppose Proposition 98.
Backers of Proposition 98 said Wednesday that they would now ask legislators to expand restrictions on eminent domain powers.
"Those issues are not dead," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. "We will work in any forum we can to get enhanced property rights in California."
Last year, the Legislature took up a measure that would have restricted local governments from acquiring homes, farmland and churches through eminent domain for the purpose of conveying the property to a private party. But it failed.
"I think people in the Legislature are going to feel that the voters have settled this issue," Adams said.
Barbara Gonzalez hopes that includes rent control. She woke up Wednesday in her Echo Park apartment with a great sense of relief that California voters had spurned a rollback of the rent-control law that she is certain stands between her and the street.
Gonzalez, 49, lives with her grown daughter and her daughter's husband in a two-bedroom apartment that costs $750 per month under rent control. Her son-in-law and daughter, who is expecting, would like to move out, but they cannot afford apartments suitable for the young family, Gonzalez said.
"It's a huge relief," she said of the defeat of Proposition 98. "I was very, very scared. I was scared because of my family. I'm a low-income person. I don't know what I would do without rent control."
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patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com
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More election coverage
* B8-B11: Coverage of the runoff for L.A. County supervisor, a rare upset ousts a veteran legislator, complete election tables and more.
* A24: California Democrats look to November.
* On the Web: Full coverage of the California races, including additional stories on Orange County results. latimes.com/california
