Sign the Petition to Save Proposition 13 and Repeal Measure ULA

The Local Taxpayer Protection Act to Save Proposition 13 is a statewide ballot measure now circulating to protect California taxpayers.

Local Taxpayer Protection Act to Save Proposition 13

California voters are being asked to take action to protect Proposition 13 and restore long-standing taxpayer safeguards that have been steadily weakened through court rulings and local tax initiatives.​

First passed in 1978, Proposition 13 capped property taxes at 1% of assessed value and limited annual increases to 2%, with reassessment occurring only upon new construction or a change of ownership. These protections helped prevent inflation-driven tax hikes from pricing Californians out of their homes and businesses. ​

However, over the past decade, courts and local governments have increasingly tested the boundaries of Proposition 13. A key turning point came in 2017, when the California Supreme Court’s decision in California Cannabis Coalition v. City of Upland created a loophole allowing certain local taxes to bypass Proposition 13’s two-thirds voter approval requirement if placed on the ballot through so-called “citizen” initiatives backed by special interests. ​

In response, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has introduced a new constitutional amendment — the Local Taxpayer Protection Act to Save Proposition 13 — now circulating for signatures. ​

What the initiative would do:

• Reinstate the requirement that all local special taxes must be approved by two-thirds of voters, with no loopholes.
• Prohibit new real estate transfer taxes, except the longstanding 0.11% documentary transfer tax that existed prior to Proposition 13.
• Repeal existing real estate transfer taxes, including Los Angeles’ Measure ULA, effective December 31, 2028. 
• Close court-created loopholes while remaining narrowly tailored to comply with recent California Supreme Court rulings.  

This initiative has been carefully drafted to address the court’s objections to prior efforts, focusing solely on property-related taxes and preserving Proposition 13’s original voter-approval standards.​

How to take action:​

Californians can visit SaveProp13.com to:

• Print and sign the official petition at home, or
• Request that a petition be mailed directly to them.

If you believe voters — not special interests or loopholes — should decide when taxes are raised, we encourage you to review the initiative and sign the petition.