Tax-Related Initiative Enters Circulation Imposes Additional Requirements for Legislature to Approve Certain State Fees and Taxes and for Voters to Approve

Certain Local Taxes and Fees. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen today announced that the proponent of a new initiative may begin collecting petition signatures for his measure.

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:

IMPOSES ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LEGISLATURE TO APPROVE CERTAIN STATE FEES AND TAXES AND FOR VOTERS TO APPROVE CERTAIN LOCAL TAXES AND FEES. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Increases legislative vote requirement to two-thirds for certain fees and taxes currently subject to majority vote. Prohibits Legislature from imposing taxes, fees and assessments on real property and real property sales and transfers, and certain fines. Requires voters to approve by two-thirds vote certain additional local taxes, fees and charges. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially major decrease in state and local revenues and spending in the future, depending upon actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, and voters. (09-0096.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1447 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 09-0096.

The proponent for this measure, Thomas W. Hiltachk, must collect signatures of 694,354 registered voters – the number equal to eight percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2006 gubernatorial election – in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 150 days to circulate petitions for this measure, meaning the signatures must be collected by July 1, 2010.

The initiative proponent can be reached at (916) 442-7757.