Yesterday the California Supreme Court made it easier for certain taxes to pass with the approval of voters. The court decided that while cities and counties will still need a 2/3 majority vote in order for a tax hike, measures proposed by citizens will don't need a supermajority to pass.
“Citizen groups collect the necessary number of signatures to put the measure on the ballot, no longer will those measures require a two-thirds vote. They only require a simple majority. This applies to taxes for specific purposes, such as building a sports arena or a soda tax. However, if a city like San Francisco tries to get a soda tax approved, it will still be subject to the two-thirds bar. This is why we’re likely to see more citizen groups proposing taxes, because they’ll only need a majority now. To tax proponents, perhaps the flood gates are opened a little bit more, and that no doubt will be upsetting to tax opponents."
Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, told the L.A. Times:
“I don’t think there’s any way we can sugarcoat this. This is a significant decision that will lead to unbridled collusion between local governments and special interest groups.”
This is just another way to make it easier for taxes, that's all this is. Jon Coupal joined us this afternoon with more on the decision and what it means: