The California General Assembly overwhelmingly passed legislation to place on the fall ballot an amendment to the state constitution requiring two-thirds of the popular vote on both legislative and citizen-led initiatives to enact or increase special local taxes, including ad valorem property (transfer) taxes.

Although not retroactive, Amendment 43 would close the loophole created by the 2017 state Supreme Court’s decision in California Cannabis Coalition v. City of Upland that held special interest and citizen-led tax initiatives only required a simple majority of the votes cast for adoption and enactment. Passage of Amendment 43 would make it harder to impose tax and fee increases on commercial real estate. The Howard Jarvis Tax Foundation is leading the Yes on 43 campaign.