California’s Prop 30 Passes, But Probably Wasn’t Necessary Anyway

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On Monday I wrote that if California’s Proposition 30 passed, it would mark a symbolic end to the tax revolt started by Proposition 13 three decades ago. Well, it passed. But it turns out that it might not even have been necessary. Thanks to redistricting and the long, slow slide of the Republican Party in California, it looks as though Democrats might very well win two-thirds majorities in both houses of the legislature once all the votes from Tuesday are counted.

Which means they could have skipped the initiative and simply passed a tax increase on their own. It’s a fitting bit of irony for an election cycle that was filled with it.

Fact:

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