The Rev Dr. Rick SchlosserCalifornia Church IMPACT recommends a NO vote
Starting with Proposition 218 in 1996, local government efforts to raise taxes via ballot measure required a two-thirds majority to pass. In 2020, however, the California Supreme Court — upholding an appellate court decision — ruled that the two-thirds requirement did not apply to citizen-initiated ballot measures raising taxes for special purposes.
Most of these citizen-initiated measures created new taxes for special-purpose funds, such as homeless services. Because they originated from citizens rather than local government, and funded specific purposes rather than general government operations, the court held they could pass with a simple majority. Special-purpose taxes proposed by local governments themselves still require a two-thirds vote.
This 2026 proposition seeks a constitutional amendment making the two-thirds standard absolute across the board, regardless of who initiates the tax or how the revenue is used. It would invalidate the 2020 court ruling — but would also bar ordinary citizens from pursuing focused, achievable tax solutions to local problems.
Recommend a NO vote