California Establish Education Savings Account and Repeal Blaine Amendment Initiative (2026)
| California Establish Education Savings Account and Repeal Blaine Amendment Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic School choice policy | |
| Status Cleared for signature gathering | |
| Type Amendment & Statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Establish Education Savings Account and Repeal Blaine Amendment Initiative (#25-0014) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would establish education savings accounts funded with $17,000 for each student in the first year and adjusted annually thereafter that could be sued to attend private religious or nonreligious schools or homeschool. The initiative would also repeal the state's Blaine Amendment, which states, "No public money shall ever be appropriated for the support of any sectarian or denominational school, or any school not under the exclusive control of the officers of the public schools."[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:
| “ | Requires state provide annual payments to students attending religious and other private schools. Initiative constitutional amendment and statute.[2] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows:
| “ | Requires state to deposit yearly voucher payments ($17,000 initially, adjusted annually) into Education Savings Accounts for California residents in grades TK-12 attending religious and other private schools anywhere in the United States. Payments will come from General Fund and property tax revenues that currently fund public schools. Eliminates constitutional prohibition on state funding of religious and other private schools. Prohibits state regulation of private school curriculum. Prohibits building, safety, or health standards for home schools that are stricter than standards applied to homes or similar businesses.[2] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
Path to the ballot
The requirements to get combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statutes certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 874,641 valid signatures are required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification is June 25, 2026. However, the secretary of state suggested deadlines for turning in signatures of January 12, 2026, for initiatives needing a full check of signatures and April 17, 2026, for initiatives needing a random sample of signatures verified.
Initiative #25-0014
- August 18, 2025: Kevin McNamee filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's Office.[1]
- October 23, 2025: The initiative was cleared for signature gathering.
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in California.
Explore California's ballot measure history, including citizen-initiated ballot measures.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Attorney General Information: Initiative and Referendum Proposals Pending Review By Attorney General, "25-0014 text," accessed August 19, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
