An anti-tax, right wing group is trying to defund our schools & communities.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, the leading defender of Proposition 13, is gathering petitions to place a measure on the ballot for November 2026. Their initiative is a radical attack on state and local governments’ ability to raise revenue to fund schools and public services. This would devastate our schools and communities.

This will be worse than Prop. 13 itself.

With your help, we can fight against this terrible initiative.

Donate Today to Protect our Schools

This initiative would undermine education funding for decades to come.

It would do this by:

  • Adopting new and stricter rules for raising state & local taxes and fees

  • Capping real estate transfer taxes in charter cities to rates allowed prior to Prop. 13

  • Retroactively reversing voter-approved measures that passed within the last year, totaling at least $3 billion

This Initiative Would Devastate Local Communities.

This measure would make it far more difficult for cities to raise revenue for essential services while slashing existing sources of local funding at the same time. Local governments across the state would lose $3 billion every single year if this initiative becomes law.

In Berkeley alone, the city stands to lose $63 million, which equates to 30% of its general fund.

This isn’t about protecting taxpayers, It’s a massive handout to wealthy corporate interests at the expense of public services and the future of California cities.

A Closer Look

With this draconian initiative, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association is doubling down on the same far-right agenda it has advanced since Prop 13 including dismantling public revenue systems, shielding corporations from paying their fair share in taxes, and locking in deep public underfunding for everyone else. They have spent decades attacking reform and taxation not to help ordinary Californians but to protect commercial landlords, the real estate industry, and billionaires—all while draining money from our public schools, community programs, and essential services.

The most radical part of this initiative would force any tax increase, closure of any loophole, and adjustment of any fee to be placed on the ballot and voted on by everyone. Every tax measure, even if it receives overwhelming support in the legislature, would require its own ballot measure.

In November 2020, there were twelve statewide ballot measures. Under this fatally flawed initiative, countless other measures for small and tax adjustments would be placed on every primary and general election ballot. Special interest groups would be able to fund campaigns in order to confuse voters on complex tax issues. Should the vote not result in their desired outcome the special interest group could sue, and the tax would become subject to endless litigation.

For example environmental protection fees, gas taxes, and tobacco taxes are continually adjusted based on their level of success and the need for funding. If this extreme ballot measure passes, we would see the consequences in every future election.

We must do everything we can to make sure this does not pass.

 

This extreme initiative must be stopped.

With your help we can beat back this attack and take that momentum to reform Prop. 13. Donate today to join the fight for our schools and communities.

DONATE HERE