California Voters Reject Prop 15
Ag Council Collaborated with Others to Defeat the Massive Property Tax Hike
California voters have rejected the largest property tax proposal in state history – Prop 15. The measure would have devastated family-owned farms and businesses throughout California and jeopardized our locally grown food supply, which is part of the fabric of the Golden State.
Ag Council President Emily Rooney said, “I thank Ag Council members and others who stepped up to the plate to provide needed resources to educate and inform voters about the danger of Prop 15 to the agricultural community. This significant commitment assisted in the defeat of the measure. Every action taken mattered.”
“It was vital that agriculture was unified in the pursuit to stop Prop 15. Working together as partners helped achieve success,” Rooney said.
Ag Council collaborated with California Farm Bureau Federation and Western Growers to stop passage of Prop 15 under the coalition umbrella, Family Farmers Against Prop 15. This unity among statewide ag associations was crucial to help defeat the measure.
Ag Council also supported the larger statewide No on Prop 15 committee comprising hundreds of unique partners from throughout California.
Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable and co-chair of the No on Prop 15 campaign said, “Prop 15 was defeated as a direct result of the ag coalition co-chaired by Ag Council. You were one of the earliest leaders to oppose split roll and your efforts with ag and the business community reflect true leadership to protect all Californians from the largest tax increase in California history. We could not have been successful without your help.”
The statewide No on Prop 15 campaign included organizations, such as: the California Business Roundtable, California Chamber of Commerce, California State Conference of the NAACP, California Black Chamber of Commerce, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Latin American and Caribbean Business Chamber of Commerce, California Business Properties Association, California Taxpayers Association and hundreds of other entities.
Rooney said, “This proves when diverse interests come together for a common cause, we see success.”
As of November 11, data from the California Secretary of State reveals “no” votes out number “yes” votes by over 562,000. This shows California voters rejected Prop 15 by a margin of more than 3.5 percent.