Stay in the Know – RED ALERT: Protect Prop 13! We need your help!

September 14, 2023

Measure to Radically Weaken Prop 13 and Limit Voter’s Influence in Ballot Initiatives

I’m urging my California family, friends and clients to take action on this TODAY! Don’t Let Politicians Silence Voters to Make it Easier to Raise Taxes!

ACA 13, by undermining Proposition 13’s tax protections, will make it easier for local governments to raise taxes on homes, making it more expensive to own a home and homeownership further out of reach for those who wish to own.

Tell your state Senator not to play politics with voters’ voices. Tell them to vote NO vote on ACA 13! See the link below for more information and to send a message to your state Senator. Please do it TODAY! ACA 13 WILL BE VOTED ON THIS WEEK!

Take action now at www.housingforcalifornia.com/no-on-aca13

C.A.R. OPPOSES ACA 13 (Ward), a proposed state constitutional amendment, that will significantly weaken the ability of California’s voters to seek change through the initiative process by imposing a higher percentage of votes needed to approve state and local measures. C.A.R. opposes ACA 13 because it seeks to undermine Proposition 13 by making it easier for local governments to increase property taxes. ACA 13 just passed the Assembly and could be considered by the entire Senate very quickly. The Legislature is adjourning for the year next week so proponents are urgently working to pass this to ensure that it can be placed on the March 2024 ballot.

C.A.R. has issued a Red Alert asking all California REALTORS® to contact their Senator to urge them to vote NO on ACA 13. Please urge your members to look for C.A.R.’s Red Alert email from [email protected] with a subject line that includes, “RED ALERT.”

Under current law, state voter initiatives and constitutional amendments (outside of those that impose certain taxes) require a simple majority of voter approval to pass. Depending on the city or county, local measures usually also follow the same system. The exception is when a measure creates or extends a local or special tax. Then the vote requirement is usually two-thirds.

ACA 13 is an effort by the state Legislature to topple a system that protects the ability for California’s voters to seek change fairly and equitably through the initiative process. ACA 13 would require that any state constitutional amendment that attempts to increase the percentage of the vote needed to pass a local or state ballot measure must itself pass by the same percentage. For example, if the initiative proposes that issues such as taxes, animal rights or environmental laws be subject to a two-thirds vote by the electorate then that same statewide ballot measure must be enacted statewide by the same margin being proposed by the circulating initiative.

Additionally, ACA 13 ONLY applies to citizen-led initiatives. Any measures referred to the ballot from the Legislature would NOT be subject to the same requirement This creates an unfair advantage against voters who are seeking to reaffirm their values on a variety of policy issues impacting homeowners and private citizens.

While, at first glance, this may seem like a reasonable approach, the consequences of such a proposal could have disastrous effects across a spectrum of issues – from the ability of local citizens to address environmental or human rights and fair housing issues to making housing even less affordable by undermining the protections in Prop 13 – a measure that protects homeowners from over taxation.

____________________________________________________________________

Here is why C.A.R. OPPOSES ACA 13:

ACA 13 will undermine the voice and power of California’s voters. The legislature shouldn’t be attempting to change the rules just to avoid an outcome with which it might disagree.

ACA 13 will further keep working families from being able to purchase a home. On August 15, KTLA reported that California’s housing affordability “hit a 16-year low in the second quarter of 2023.” Increasing property taxes will make it even more difficult for first-time buyers to make the leap from renting to homeownership. California’s growing diverse population continues to face uphill battles in buying a home and growing family savings, which is THE fundamental step needed to close the state’s wealth gap.

ACA 13 could make buying and owning a home even more expensive by eroding Proposition 13 protections. ACA 13 seeks to undo protections enacted by Proposition 13 which established a 2/3 vote requirement for local governments to increase various taxes on homeowners. The passage of ACA 13 will only make it more difficult for homeowners to protect their homes from unfair taxation.

PLEASE HELP DEFEAT ACA 13 – CONTACT YOUR SENATOR TODAY