PRESS RELEASE

PR26-95
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2026
Contact: sospress@sos.ca.gov 

California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., Announces Proponent Withdraws Initiative to Limit Ability of Voters to Raise Revenues for Local Government Services 
 

Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. announced today that an initiative eligible for the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot has been withdrawn by the proponent.  

The Attorney General's official title and summary of the measure is as follows:  

LIMITS ABILITY OF VOTERS TO RAISE REVENUES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Limits voters’ ability to pass voter-proposed local special taxes by raising the vote approval threshold requirement for such ballot measures from a simple majority (over 50%) to two-thirds. In charter cities, prohibits voters from approving real estate transfer taxes other than the existing 0.11% transfer tax authorized by Revenue and Taxation Code section 11911. Overturns all existing voter-approved property-related taxes, including real estate sales and transfer taxes, that do not comply with these requirements two years after the measure is enacted. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Annual loss of revenues to local governments totaling up to a couple of billion dollars, predominantly affecting certain charter cities. Potential future reduction in what local governments would otherwise collect in revenues due to a higher vote threshold for certain taxes and fewer types of taxes that local governments can adopt. (25-0006A1.) 

Pursuant to Elections Code section 9604, proponents may withdraw an initiative at any time before the Secretary of State certifies it as qualified. 

The proponent of the initiative is Jon Coupal. The address for the proponent is 1201 K Street, Suite 1030, Sacramento, CA 95814. 

For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in California, visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/how-qualify-initiative/. 

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