Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association files lawsuit vs Prop 1A May 19th Special election

Just received the following press announcement.

LAWSUIT SEEKS TO EXPOSE PHONY BUDGET REFORM

Taxpayers deserve nothing less than fair, impartial ballot information

Today (2) the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) joined with Health Access California to file a lawsuit in California Superior Court on the grounds that voters are being misled regarding the ballot materials for Proposition 1A on the May 19th special election ballot. The lawsuit challenges the ballot title and summary drafted by the Legislature as not being fair and impartial because they fail to mention that passage of Proposition 1A will lead to $16 billion in new taxes.

Last month as part of the budget agreement, legislators placed six measures on the ballot. Although state law generally entrusts to the Attorney General the task of preparing an impartial ballot title and summary for each ballot measure, for this election the Legislature suspended the Attorney General’s role and wrote its own titles and summaries. Election law dictates that these summaries must be impartial and include each measure’s “chief points.” The Proposition 1A title and summary are not impartial because they include highly charged “advocacy” language meant to inappropriately sway the electorate. Nor do they cover the measure’s chief points because they completely omit any mention of the $16 billion tax increase.

“Proposition 1A represents a deliberate attempt by the Legislature and its special interest allies to confuse and trick California voters into approving a continuation for another two years of one of the most regressive tax increase packages in state history,” stated HJTA President Jon Coupal. “This lawsuit attempts to shine a bright light on the smoke and mirrors tactics offered up by tax and spend politicians,” Coupal said.

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