Ruling Halts Effort to Overturn Measure ULA
In a ruling issued on Thursday, the California Supreme Court blocked the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act from appearing on the November ballot. This decision halts a measure that aimed to overturn Los Angeles’ tiered transfer taxes, also known as Measure ULA, on residential and commercial sales exceeding $5 million.
The proposed measure would have changed the voter approval threshold for special taxes. It would have required a two-thirds majority instead of a simple majority. Because the measure’s purpose was to block Measure ULA, which was passed by voters in Los Angeles last year, it would have applied retroactively. Since the measure would have required two-thirds approval by voters in 2025, it would effectively nullify Measure ULA and as well as dozens of other voter-approved measures.
The business interest groups who were behind the ballot measure have expressed their disappointment with the California Supreme Court’s ruling. They have stated, “We are disappointed that the California Supreme Court has put politics ahead of the Constitution, disregarding long-standing precedent that they should not intervene in an election before voters decide qualified initiatives.”
According to state donation records, real estate companies such as Douglas Emmett, Kilroy Realty, Shorenstein Properties, and Hudson Pacific Properties collectively invested millions in supporting the measure.
Measure ULA still faces one last challenge in the U.S. Court of Appeals because the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments about the measure later this year.
