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California Tax Limits and Vote Requirements Initiative (2022)
| California Tax Limits and Vote Requirements Initiative Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2022 | |
| Topic Taxes and Direct democracy measures | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The California Tax Limits and Vote Requirements Initiative Initiative (#21-0026) was not on the ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 8, 2022.
The ballot initiative would have defined levies, charges, and extractions as taxes or exempt charges, with those classified as taxes requiring a two-thirds legislative vote and voter approval at an election.[1]
Text of the measure
Ballot title
The ballot title would have been as follows:[2]
| “ |
Limits State and Local Governments’ Ability to Raise Revenues for Government Services. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.[3] |
” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets was as follows:[2]
| “ |
For new state taxes, requires voter approval (added to current requirement that Legislature approve by two-thirds vote any taxes it proposes). For new local taxes, local governing body must approve by two-thirds any taxes it proposes, and voters’ approval must occur in a general election. Expands definition of “taxes” to include certain regulatory fees, broadening application of approval requirements. Requires Legislature or local governing body to approve all other fees by two-thirds vote. Requires that tax measures specifically limit how revenues may be spent.[3] |
” |
Fiscal impact
The fiscal impact statement was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Potentially substantially lower annual state and local revenues, depending on future actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, voters, and the courts.[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in California
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election. Petitions are allowed to circulate for 180 days from the date the attorney general prepares the petition language. Signatures need to be certified at least 131 days before the general election. As the verification process can take multiple months, the secretary of state provides suggested deadlines for ballot initiatives.
The requirements to get initiated constitutional amendments certified for the 2022 ballot:
- Signatures: 997,139 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was 131 days before the general election, which was around June 30, 2022. However, the process of verifying signatures can take multiple months and proponents are recommended to file signatures at least two months before the verification deadline.
Signatures are first filed with local election officials, who determine the total number of signatures submitted. If the total number is equal to at least 100 percent of the required signatures, then local election officials perform a random check of signatures submitted in their counties. If the random sample estimates that more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, the initiative is eligible for the ballot. If the random sample estimates that between 95 and 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, a full check of signatures is done to determine the total number of valid signatures. If less than 95 percent are estimated to be valid, the initiative does not make the ballot.
Initiative #21-0026
Thomas Hiltachk filed the ballot initiative on October 1, 2021.[4] The Attorney General of California issued ballot language for the initiative on December 7, 2021, allowing a signature drive to begin. Signatures were due on June 6, 2022.
On June 21, 2022, the secretary of state reported the initiative did not make the 2022 ballot.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Attorney General, "Initiative 21-0026," October 1, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed October 20, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Initiatives," accessed October 4, 2021
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State of California Sacramento (capital) |
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