California Renew State Income Tax Increase for Education Funding Initiative (2026)
| California Renew State Income Tax Increase for Education Funding Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic Income taxes and Public education funding | |
| Status Cleared for signature gathering | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Renew State Income Tax Increase for Education Funding Initiative (#25-0016) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would renew the additional income taxes enacted with the approval of Proposition 38 in 2012 that fund education and early childhood programs.[1][2]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:
| “ | Provides permanent funding for schools and healthcare by extending existing tax on high incomes. Initaitive constitutional amendment.[3] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows:
| “ | Makes permanent the existing 2012 voter-approved tax rates for high-income Californians, currently set to expire in 2031. Rates apply to personal income over about $360,000 for single filers, $721,000 for joint filers, and $490,000 for heads of household (2024 levels; adjusted annually for inflation). Allocates tax revenues 89% to K-12 schools, 11% to community colleges. Allows local school boards to decide how revenues are spent; bars use for administrative costs. Increases General Fund revenues available for education, healthcare, budget reserves, and other programs.[3] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
Path to the ballot
An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 546,651 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 #25-0016
- August 29, 2025: Benjamin Gevercer and David B. Goldberg filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's Office.[1]
- November 4, 2025: The initiative was cleared for signature gathering.[2]
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Attorney General Information: Initiative and Referendum Proposals Pending Review By Attorney General, "25-0012 text," accessed August 12, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 California Secretary of State, "Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status," accessed November 4, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
