CTPGA Fights to Protect Taxpayer Rights Amidst Recent Legal Battle in California

The Californians for Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability (CTPGA) is opposing a lawsuit by Governor Newsom and the Legislature that seeks to block the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability (TPA) Act from being included on the November 2024 ballot. The CTPGA has sent an amicus letter to the state Supreme Court signed by former lawmakers Don Perata, Mike Roos, and Joe Coto, expressing their opposition to stopping the initiative. They argue that it is crucial for the California Supreme Court to follow established standards for pre-election challenges and allow voters to decide on the TPA. They emphasize the significance of citizen initiatives and the right for voters to use the initiative process, stating that allowing the lawsuit to succeed would set a harmful precedent and infringe on citizens’ rights.

According to a recent report by the California Taxpayers Association publication CalTax Reports, voters in local elections held on November 7 rejected a business tax that the CTPGA opposed. However, five other tax measures were approved, resulting in a combined $5.3 million annual tax increase. These approved taxes include sales tax increases, parcel taxes, and hotel taxes. Two other measures are still undecided, as the vote counts are too close. One of the rejected measures was a proposed special business license tax in Perris, which aimed to impose a rate of $0.107 per square foot on distribution facilities and certain industrial businesses but failed to gain support.

Overall, this update highlights the ongoing debates over taxes in California, with CTPGA expressing concerns about the effort to block the TPA initiative while also reporting both successes and setbacks in recent local elections. Our local team at Ryan will continue to monitor the situation and is available for any questions.