With less than half of voters planning to vote in favor of Proposition 30 next week, Election Day does not look promising for California schools.
In an effort to defeat Prop 30, an Arizona nonprofit, non-taxable group called Americans for Responsible Leadership donated $11 million to the California-based Small Business Action Committee PAC last week. Joel Fox, an anti-tax activist, directs the California organization.
Governor Jerry Brown’s tax initiative will temporarily increase personal income taxes on those with incomes over $250,000 per year and increase sales tax by a quarter-cent for four years. Without the proposition, City College faces a cut of over 200 sections of curriculum for the spring and summer terms, and a loss of over 1,000 students in enrollment.
California’s Fair Political Practices Committee went to court to originate the source of the Arizona money, arguing that voters have a right to know who provided the funds.
It is unclear if the names of the donors will become public before next week’s election.
According to the Los Angeles Times, “State authorities want the records, including email and financial statements, by Thursday afternoon, but the Arizona nonprofit is expected to appeal the order. Plus, if authorities get the records they want, they still need to conduct an audit to determine whether the group is improperly shielding donors’ identities.”
Recent poll results have Prop 30 at a 48 percent approval rating.
