Plan making California high-earner tax to fund schools permanent eligible for November ballot

Voters in California may decide this fall on a proposal that would make tax increases on high-income earners to fund education permanent, officials said.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber's office announced Thursday that supporters of the measure have submitted 962,106 valid signatures, more than the 874,641 needed to qualify.

According to the California Teachers Association, which backed the measure, more than 1.6 million signatures were submitted.

"It's clear from the widespread support that the Prop. 55 extension received in the signature gathering process that our communities are committed to fighting for fully funded public schools," California Teachers Association president David Goldberg said in a statement on April 22.

The measure, titled "The California Children's Education and Health Care Protection Act of 2026,"  would make permanent tax rates for high-income Californians that were initially approved by voters in 2012, with the passage of Proposition 30. In 2016, voters approved Proposition 55, which extended the tax increase for 15 more years.

The rates apply to personal income over $360,000 for single-filers, $721,000 for couples filing jointly and $490,000 for heads of household, using 2024 levels. About 89% of revenues generated from the tax goes to K-12 schools, while 11% goes to community colleges.

"California is the 4th largest economy in the world, with egregious wealth disparity. We either vote to extend Prop. 55 now, or our state's wealthiest get a tax break in 2030 while 1-in-6 educators lose their jobs," Goldberg added.

The proposal may appear alongside a proposed wealth tax on California billionaires, which also obtained enough signatures to appear on the November ballot.

Called the "2026 Billionaire Tax Act", the measure would institute a one-time tax of 5% on the state's estimated 255 billionaires. While advocates of the tax emphasize that billionaires' fortunes are growing much faster than the income of ordinary Americans, opponents argue the state could face a revenue shortfall if California's wealthiest residents leave for other states.