HJTA continues to build support to Repeal the Death Tax
Prop. 19 was the biggest property tax increase in California history. But it may not hold that title for long.
The tax-raisers in Sacramento and their friends in the California courts have been attacking Proposition 13 in every way possible. We have been particularly troubled by court rulings that have carved a loophole in Proposition 13 that effectively wiped out the protection of the two-thirds vote requirement to raise local special taxes.
We tried to close this loophole with one provision of the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, an initiative signed by 1.4 million California voters which had qualified for the November 2024 ballot. To our astonishment, the governor and legislative leaders sued to have our initiative removed from the ballot before Californians could vote on it, and the California Supreme Court went along with them, saying the measure did too much to protect taxpayers.
We cannot let this stand.
That’s why we have filed a new initiative called the Save Proposition 13 Act of 2026. It will close the “Upland” loophole (named after the 2017 court case that created it), which has allowed unconstitutional tax increases to take effect if they were proposed by a citizens’ initiative instead of by a city council or other government body. The “Upland” loophole has become a weapon of special interests to raise taxes.
We’re excited to tell you that the Save Proposition 13 Act will end unconstitutional taxes on property that made it through the loophole, including Measure ULA in the City of Los Angeles.
We’re hopeful that this will be a well-funded effort, which will allow the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association to strengthen its ability to qualify measures for the ballot using the one-page, download-and-print petition format that we created for the second try at Repeal the Death Tax.
We know how important Repeal the Death Tax is to you and to all of us, but it is essential that we save Proposition 13 first. If we lose that, property will be reassessed to market value every year, and fixing Prop. 19 will be of no help.
We’re confident that support will build for Repeal the Death Tax as time goes on, and by 2028 we will be in a much stronger position to take on that challenge again. But first, in 2026, we must save Proposition 13. We must also be ready to go on defense. In November 2024, voters considered 539 local tax and bond measures. We don’t yet know what will be on the ballot in 2026, but with the state’s budget crunch, local governments all over the state will be asking taxpayers for more money at the ballot box. Voters in the Bay Area and San Diego may be asked to pay higher sales taxes to fund public transit. We have no doubt more tax proposals will be on the ballot next year. And we are already hearing rumblings that special interests may be gearing up for another try at “split roll,” a direct attack on Prop. 13 that removes taxpayer protections from some property owners in preparation for removing Prop. 13 from everybody.
We are ready to fight to protect Proposition 13, and we hope you’re ready to join us in this battle.
If you can, please support HJTA’s important efforts with a contribution to the Protect Proposition 13 campaign committee. Online donations can be made here: https://www.efundraisingconnections.com/c/Prop13
Or if you prefer, a check payable to “Protect Prop. 13” may be mailed to:
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, 621 S. Westmoreland Ave., Suite 200, L.A., CA 90005
We encourage your continued support for Repeal the Death Tax. Please help us spread the word to sign up for updates at RepealtheDeathTax.com. We need hundreds of thousands of Californians to sign up in order to make it possible to qualify the initiative for the ballot. (Currently we have tens of thousands.)
Thank you! We greatly appreciate you and all that you have done. Together we will restore the constitutional taxpayer protections that should never have been lost, fight against specific local tax increases up and down the state, and protect Proposition 13.
Gratefully,
Jon Coupal, President
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
P.S. Signature collection for The Save Proposition 13 Act of 2026 will begin in mid-July after the Attorney General issues a title and summary for the petition. You can read the text of the petition HERE and send public comments about it on the Attorney General’s website HERE. Thank you for helping to Save Proposition 13!
Contributions to PP13 are not tax deductible.
PP13 does not solicit or accept any “earmarked” contributions. All contribution decisions are made solely by the Principal Officer(s) of the Committee.
Paid for by Protect Prop. 13, a Project of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
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listen to the sca 4 hearing:
Community leaders and citizen taxpayers urge Senate Finance Committee to take action to repeal the death tax.
"It’s hard to imagine anything more callous than the government sending a giant tax bill to a bereaved family, but thanks to Proposition 19, many California families will have that unfortunate experience.”
questions on proposition 19?
Do you have questions on Proposition 19 or the new rules for property tax increases on inherited homes and other real estate? We’re collecting signatures for an initiative that will restore the constitutional rights that were lost when Proposition 19 passed — the right of parents and children to transfer property to each other while keeping the property tax bill the same, instead of triggering reassessment to market value and a huge tax increase as Prop. 19 requires. The Repeal the Death Tax Act does not change the other parts of Proposition 19. If you have questions about a specific individual situation, one good source for detailed information about Proposition 19 is the Board of Equalization, the state agency that oversees property tax administration.
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Contact Us
Email us at info@hjta.org for general questions.
Representatives of the media
Please call Susan Shelley, Vice President, Communications, at 213-384-9656.
Northern California Office
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
1201 K Street, Suite 1030
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-444-9950
Southern California Office
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
621 South Westmoreland Avenue, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Phone: 213-384-9656