Harris
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Wednesday gave Gov. Jerry Brown the green light to begin collecting signatures on his tax initiative.
The Sacramento Bee reported Harris issued petition language on the governor's plan shortly before his State of the State address.
Brown, Harris' predecessor, plans to ask voters to approve a temporary increase in sales taxes and income taxes for the state's rich.
In his address Wednesday night, the governor said he was "determined to press ahead" with his initiative, along with sizable budget cuts.
"The cuts are not ones I like but the situation demands them," he said in his speech.
"As for the initiative, it is fair. It is temporary. It is half of what people were paying in 2010. And it will protect our schools and guarantee -- in the constitution -- funding for the public safety programs we transferred to local government."
He added, "With enough time, we can and should devise more permanent tax reform but for now we should finish the job of bringing spending into balance with revenues."
Brown advisers told the Bee that he would begin collecting signatures "immediately."
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.