🚨BAD BILL ALERT🚨 SENATE REPUBLICANS URGE GOVERNOR: PROTECT TAXPAYERS FROM SNEAKY ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE PROPOSITION 218

Senate Republicans are strongly urging the governor to veto Assembly Bill 2180 (Ward, D-San Diego) that will undermine the legal process and gut Proposition 218, "The Right to Vote on Taxes Initiative," passed by the voters in 1996.

Assembly Bill 2180 is the legislature intentionally inserting itself into an ongoing court battle over tiered water rates and whether water districts are implementing those fairly and appropriately under the law. The court case is Dreher v. City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and is pending in the state Supreme Court.

Click HERE for the analysis of AB 2180 and HERE for the veto letter.

"California voters approved Proposition 218 to protect ratepayers from arbitrary fee increases by government agencies," said Sen. Steven Choi (R-Irvine). "AB 2180 was rushed through in the final days of the legislative session to interfere with an ongoing lawsuit and undermine a voter-approved law the Legislature simply does not like. The Governor must veto this bill."

AB 2180 will allow water district officials to choose their own way to calculate tiered water rates, rather than following the law as set by Proposition 218 and confirmed by the judicial branch.

Both the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and California Taxpayers Association have issued letters strongly opposing AB 2180.

"Veto this sneaky bill, governor. Interpreting questions or conflicts over a law is the courts' domain, not that of tax-happy Democrat lawmakers for whom enough is never enough," said Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego). "Californians can't keep absorbing more rate increases, tax hikes or the likes of AB 2180 that just keep adding weight to the ongoing affordability crisis in this state."

The California Taxpayers Association opposition letter called out AB 2180 for what it is, a cost burden: "AB 2180 would result in higher costs to taxpayers through increased utility charges, while reducing accountability for agencies."

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