Proposition 43 rejected by California voters, AP projects – CBS News

Proposition 43 rejected by California voters, AP projects  CBS News

California voters have rejected Proposition 43, the ballot measure aimed at making it harder to enact local tax measures, AP projects.Prop 43 would have made it harder to increase local tax rates by raising the voting threshold for approval.Under current California law, citizen-proposed local tax measures require a simple majority (more than 50%) to pass, while taxes introduced by local governments require approval from two-thirds of voters.Prop. 43 supporters, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and California Taxpayers Association, said the measure builds on the landmark Prop. 13.Passed in 1978, Prop. 13 overhauled California's property tax system and required a two-thirds majority to approve all state tax increases and local special tax hikes.

Supporters claim court rulings created a "loophole" that allowed local tax increases to pass by a simple majority if a community initiative introduced the proposal. "Californians are paying billions in new or higher taxes they would not have to pay if it weren't for these loopholes," supporters wrote in the California Voter Guide. "Prop. 43 closes these loopholes and restores the two-thirds vote requirement to pass local special taxes."Critics of Prop. 43, including California Professional Firefighters, California Federation of Teachers and Nurse Alliance of SEIU CA, said the measure would make it harder for cities and counties to provide critical services. "Prop. 43 places a nearly impossible