Ever since its passage, opponents have been trying to chip away at the protections Proposition 13 gives us. Without Prop 13, many of us would be forced out of our homes by increasing property taxes, and other taxes could be raised without a 2/3 vote. However, opponents of 13 see it as an obstacle to getting more money from us to support further growth of government services.
The current call for a State Constitutional Convention is one of the attempts to eliminate Prop 13. Another current threat is a ballot initiative called “The Education and Taxpayer Fairness Act” received by the State Attorney General’s Office on Nov. 5, 2009, and currently out for signatures. If it gets enough signatures, it will be on the ballot. It is sponsored by the California Teachers Association, a powerful lobby with lots of money, so if they decide to proceed, they will definitely be able to qualify it for the ballot. It bears watching.