California Democrats Raise Stakes in Tax Ballot Measure Battle

California Democrats want to make it tougher for anti-tax groups to pass a ballot measure making it more difficult to enact local tax increases.

A newly introduced measure (A.C.A. 13) would require ballot measures increasing the threshold for voters to approve state or local initiatives—including tax increases—to meet that same threshold to pass. It’s scheduled for a first hearing in the state Assembly’s Elections Committee on Wednesday, setting it on a fast track for lawmakers to approve it before they adjourn for the year in September.

The proposal is an attempt to thwart a measure that’s already qualified ...