Proposition 55 is a
California ballot proposition
In California, a ballot proposition is a referendum or an initiative measure that is submitted to the electorate for a direct decision or direct vote (or plebiscite). If passed, it can alter one or more of the articles of the Constitution of Cal ...
that passed on the November 8, 2016 ballot, regarding extending by twelve years the temporary personal
income tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
increases enacted in 2012 on earnings over $250,000, with revenues allocated to K–12 schools,
California Community Colleges, and, in certain years, healthcare. Proposition 55 will raise tax revenue by between $4 billion and $9 billion a year.
Half of funds will go to schools and community colleges, up to $2 billion a year would go to
Medi-Cal, and up to $1.5 billion will be saved and applied to debt.
[
]
History
California voters passed temporary sales and income tax increases with Proposition 30 in 2012.[ Since the 2012 tax increase, California's tax revenues have grown by nearly 30%, with roughly two thirds of the money going to schools.][
Proposition 55 allowed the sales tax increase to expire as planned, while maintaining the increased income tax rates and extended them through 2030.][ Governor ]Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...
, who was the primary proponent of the tax increase in 2012, remained neutral on Proposition 55.
Campaigning
Proponents spent $58.6 million fighting for the measure, with the top donor being $25 million from a hospital trade association.[ An additional $20 million was donated by the ]California Teachers Association
The California Teachers Association (CTA), initially established in 1863, is one of the largest and most powerful teachers' unions in the state with over 300,000 members and a high political profile in California politics. The teachers' union is ba ...
, with other top donors including the Service Employees International Union, and the California School Employees Association
The California School Employees Association, AFL–CIO (CSEA) is the largeslabor union in the United States. CSEA represents a quarter million classified public school employees in California.
CSEA was formed in 1927 by a determined group of Oa ...
.[ The measure was supported by the editorial boards of '']The Sacramento Bee
''The Sacramento Bee'' is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its foundation in 1857, ''The Bee'' has become the largest newspaper in Sacramento, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 2 ...
'' and ''The Mercury News
''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidiar ...
''.
Opponents spent $3,000 fighting against the measure.[ The California Chamber of Commerce, who were neutral on the 2012 tax increase, opposed Proposition 55.][ The measure was opposed by the editorial boards of the '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', the ''San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'', and ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''.[
]
Results
A September 2016 poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that 54% of likely voters supported Proposition 55, 38% opposed it, and 8% did not know how they would vote.
Proposition 55 was approved by voters in the November general election, with 63% voting yes.
References
External links
Yes on 55 - Californians for Budget Stability
No on Proposition 55
Proposition 55 Would Extend Prop 30 Income Taxes to Fund Schools, Health Care
Discussion on Forum (KQED)
2016 California ballot propositions
Taxation in California
{{California-poli-stub