…& Legislative Update
April, 2026
How is Sacramento spending our tax dollars this month? Let’s sniff out the ways…
Compiled by Jennifer Zeiter
Some Good News!
Carl DeMaio announced that both the CA Voter ID and Save Prop 13 initiatives are on track to qualify for the November 2026 ballot, citing “sky high” validity rates from early county signature verification results and projected totals well above the required threshold.
And Some Bad…
SB 1243 (Durazo) Unlawful detainer: Tenant Protections for Immigrant Families Act of 2026. This HORRIBLE bill would, until January 1, 2030, prohibit an owner of residential real property from initiating or continuing an unlawful detainer action to evict a tenant or “household member “whose income, ability to obtain income, or financial support is impacted by immigration enforcement activities until 180 days after the conclusion of those immigration enforcement activities. This bill effectively provides ‘free rent’ for immigrant families and creates an undue hardship on landlords. Only one tenant has to feel “impacted” even if all the other tenants are not…… The bill would prohibit the owner from charging or collecting any late fees, interest, or other penalties related to the nonpayment of rent by a tenant subject to these provisions.
SB 994 (Cabaldon) Local government: nondisclosure agreements. ThisGOOD bill would prohibit a local government official acting in their official capacity from entering into, or requesting that another individual enter into, a nondisclosure agreement relating to public business that precludes their ability to share information with fellow local government officials serving on the same council, board, commission, district, or agency.
SB 998 (Gonzalez) Education equity: discrimination prevention coordinators. This BAD bill is DEI on steroids. It would require the Office of Civil Rights to employ a Disability Discrimination Prevention Coordinator to be appointed by the Governor.
3 new LGBTQ+ Discrimination Prevention Coordinators. The bill would require each of the 3 coordinators (Anti-Black, Anti-Asian, Anti-Hispanic), in consultation with the State Department of Education, and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, to, among other things, (1) develop, consult on, and provide discrimination education to teachers, staff, governing board and body members, administrators, and other local educational agency personnel to identify and proactively prevent discrimination, as provided, (2) provide technical assistance to local educational agencies to access restorative justice resources, training, and practitioners, and (3) engage with local educational agencies to ensure administrators are equipped to address conflicts at an early stage with the goal of proactively resolving incidents of discrimination, as specified.
TAX DAY NOTICE: 8 Proposed California Tax Hikes Pending in the 2026 Election
Unite Here Local 11, the labor union behind the controversial $30 Los Angeles minimum wage, is pushing an “overpaid CEO” tax, the billionaire tax, and $30 minimum wage. Why? They carry signs that explain: “Taxing greed to pay for what we need.”
California Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) has been diligently working on three ballot measures to block tax hikes:
The Save Prop 13 Initiative restores the two-thirds vote requirement for local tax hikes and completely eliminates the crazy new “Property Transfer Tax” scheme many localities are now imposing.
The Stop the Savings Tax Initiative prohibits any tax on the value of your assets such as property, savings accounts, retirement accounts, investments, etc. and also prohibits the imposition of retroactive tax hikes.
The Audit Special Taxes Initiative makes it harder for politicians to impose new special tax assessments and requires audits of any programs that receive special tax revenues.
Here’s what is at stake in the November 2026 election.
TAX DAY NOTICE: 8 Proposed California Tax Hikes for 2026 Election:
Property Tax Hikes/Prop 13 Repeal: Politicians have gutted Prop 13 and want to fully repeal it with their Split-Roll Initiative –the average homeowner will end up paying $6500-9000 more in property taxes annually.
Savings Tax: Politicians want a new tax on your personal savings and investments.
Mileage Tax: Politicians are proposing a 6-cents per mile tax costing an average of $900 per driver per year.
Sales Tax Hike: We are tracking over 250 local sales tax hikes and now state politicians are looking at a statewide sales tax hike. 10-11% sales tax on EVERY PURCHASE.
Healthcare Tax: Politicians propose to double California state taxes to fund government-run healthcare – costing average of $16k per household per year.
Utility Tax: Politicians want to impose massive “flat rate charges” on all utility bills –no matter your usage. CARE Fund for “low income” subsidy on your bill.
Gas Tax: The gas tax is set to automatically increase July 1. You currently pay $1200 a year in car and gas taxes.
Exit Tax: State politicians want to force you to pay an exit tax for up to 10 years after you leave!
California Public Employees' Retirement System and California State Teachers' Retirement System together face roughly $250–$300 billion in unfunded liabilities statewide, depending on assumptions.
AB 1705 (Bauer-Kahan) Pornographic websites. (SUPPORT) would require an operator to take reasonable steps to ensure that each instance of sexually explicit content uploaded to the operator’s pornographic internet website does not include an individual who was a minor at the time content was created, or did not consent to uploading content. It authorizes a depicted individual a public prosecutor to bring civil action to enforce these provisions.
AB 1764 (Sanchez) Elections: registration use SS death records (SUPPORT) would require the Secretary of State or county elections officials, to use data obtained from the State Department of Health Care Services and the federal Social Security Administration to cancel the affidavits of registrations of deceased persons.
AB 2057 (DeMaio) Natural gas appliances. (SUPPORT) This bill would prohibit state agencies and local governments from adopting or enforcing a rule, regulation, resolution, or ordinance that directly or indirectly results in prohibiting the use of gas appliances in residential or nonresidential buildings.
AB 2064 (Sharp Collins) Discrimination: formerly incarcerated status criminal history. (OPPOSE) This bill would add criminal history to the list of protected characteristics under the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
AB 2600 (Bonta) Immigration: access to legal counsel. (OPPOSE) This bill would, subject to the availability of funding, provide legal counsel to every covered individual subject to certain immigration proceedings if that individual is not otherwise being provided counsel.
AB 2624 (Bonta) Privacy for immigration support services providers. (OPPOSE) This bill provides a legal shield for those who provide support services to immigrants (think hospice fraud) and a $10,000.00 fine and possible imprisonment for those who investigate such services (think Anti Nick Shirley Act).
SB 895 (Wiener) CA Science and Health Research Bond Act ($23,000,000,000. Bond) (OPPOSE) would establish the CA Foundation for Science and Health Research Fund to award grants in specific areas of research including climate, biomedical, behavioral research, and more. Another slush fund.
SB 986 (Seyrarto) Major Regulations (SUPPORT) Originally the bill would prohibit a major regulation from taking effect until the Legislature enacts a law to approve the regulation. If the Legislature fails to enact a law to approve the regulation or does not vote on the regulation within 60 days of receiving the regulation from the office, the bill would require that the regulation be deemed disapproved.
SB 1004 (Wiener) Law Enforcement Masks (OPPOSE) makes it a crime for a law enforcement officer to wear a facial covering in the performance of their duties. This bill would add peace officers employed by a state agency to the definition of law enforcement officers. A similar law was already overturned by a federal judge.
SB 1176 (Choi) Agricultural land: prohibited foreign actors (SUPPORT) would prohibit a foreign actor from purchasing, acquiring, leasing, or holding a controlling interest, in agricultural land within the State of California. FAILED to pass out of committee.
SB 1194 (Caballero) Immigration Legal Fellowship Project. (OPPOSE) The Immigration Legal Fellowship Project is hereby established within the State Department of Social Services for the purpose of expanding access to high-quality immigration legal services, including, but not limited to, removal defense, in rural and underserved regions of California.
SB 1377 (Jones) Immunizations: medical exemptions. (SUPPORT) This bill would exempt a child from immunization requirements if the parent or guardian files with the governing authority a written statement. The bill would prohibit the department, a local health department, or a third-party review panel from revoking, invalidating, or conditioning a medical exemption duly issued by a licensed physician and surgeon, except by final order of a court upon clear and convincing evidence of fraud. The bill would prohibit the department and local health departments from auditing, disciplining, or referring a physician and surgeon to the Medical Board of California or Osteopathic Medical Board of California based solely on the number of medical exemptions issued. FAILED Passage.
(Thanks to Olena from Pixabay for the logo image)