Proposition 3 would continue California’s income tax on the state’s highest earners to help fund public education. Here’s what voters need to know.
When Californians vote this November, they’ll see Proposition 3, a measure that asks a simple question with long-term consequences:
Should California continue charging higher state income taxes on its highest-income residents to help pay for public schools and community colleges?
For many Latino families, the answer matters because the money helps support the schools their children attend and the community colleges many students rely on.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what Proposition 3 would do.
What is Proposition 3?
Proposition 3 would extend California’s existing income tax increase on the state’s highest earners instead of allowing it to expire.
The tax currently applies only to people with very high incomes. Most Californians, including the vast majority of Latino families, would not pay higher taxes if Proposition 3 passes.
The money would continue to support:
- K-12 public schools
- Community colleges
- Education programs required under California law
Who would pay the tax?
Not everyone.
The tax applies only to California’s highest-income taxpayers.
If you are a typical wage earner, retiree, or middle-income family, Proposition 3 would not increase your state income taxes.
Where would the money go?
The revenue would continue helping fund:
- Public elementary schools
- Middle schools
- High schools
- Community colleges
California already guarantees a minimum level of funding for schools through Proposition 98, and the revenue from the high-income tax has helped support education spending for more than a decade.
Why is this measure on the ballot?
California voters approved temporary tax increases on the state’s highest earners in 2012 and later extended them in 2016.
Those taxes are scheduled to expire unless voters approve another extension.
Proposition 3 asks voters whether they want to continue that policy.
How could this affect Latino families?
Most Latino families would not see a direct tax increase.
Instead, the biggest impact would likely be through education.
Many Latino students attend California public schools and community colleges. Supporters say continuing this funding can help schools pay for teachers, classroom programs, tutoring, career education, and other student services.
For families with children in school, the measure is primarily about how California pays for public education, not about increasing taxes on middle-income households.
What supporters say
Supporters argue that Proposition 3 protects billions of dollars that schools and community colleges rely on every year.
They say continuing the tax helps avoid cuts to education and provides stable funding for students across California.
What opponents say
Opponents argue that California already has some of the nation’s highest taxes and that extending the tax could make it harder to keep high-income residents and businesses in the state.
Some also believe the temporary tax should expire as originally planned.
Does Proposition 3 raise taxes for most Californians?
No.
For most California families, the answer is no.
The measure would continue a tax that already applies only to the state’s highest-income taxpayers.
Proposition 3 is less about creating a new tax and more about deciding whether to keep an existing source of education funding.
For many Latino families, the key question is straightforward:
Should California continue asking its wealthiest residents to pay higher income taxes to help fund public education, or should those higher tax rates be allowed to expire?
That is the decision California voters will make in November.
