California Supreme Court to weigh pulling measure making it harder to raise taxes from ballot

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The California Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments Wednesday about whether to remove a measure from the November ballot that would make it harder for the state and local governments to raise taxes.

The measure would require all new and higher taxes to be approved by voters. Right now, the Legislature can raise taxes with a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and Assembly. The initiative would require statewide voters to weigh in after legislative approval, with the new tax taking effect only if a majority approve it.

The measure would also change how communities can raise taxes through citizen initiatives. Right now, a local initiative for a special tax increase requires a simple majority vote. The ballot measure would change that to a two-thirds majority.

The court battle is pitting Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who wants it off the ballot, against business groups and taxpayer advocates, who say it’s time to rein in government spending. The fight comes as Newsom faces persistent criticism that California has become too expensive for many of its 39 million residents.

A lawsuit filed last fall by Newsom, the Legislature and John Burton, a former congressman and chair of the California Democratic Party, asked the court to remove the measure from the ballot. They argued that, if approved, it would “eliminate much of the executive branch’s administrative and regulatory power and would repeal taxing authority that the Legislature has held throughout California’s history.”

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