For 40 years, the legacy of Proposition 13, a landmark California law that limits property tax increases, has shaped state politics. The measure weathered various legislative and legal challenges, including a trip to the Supreme Court, and came to be considered untouchable. Now the law has survived perhaps its biggest test after California voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have undone a portion of Proposition 13. “This is an important moment in California political history — the biggest attempt to reform Proposition 13,” said Manuel Pastor, an author and sociology professor at the University of Southern California. “Given that this is the third rail of California politics, it actually came pretty close with very significant headwinds including a recession, and the limits the pandemic placed on door-knocking and other high-touch voter contact.”

Source: New York Times November 11, 2020 03:29 UTC