Building a Better California takes positions on key California ballot measures
With the November 2026 ballot now set, Building a Better California is announcing its position on a number of measures that could have significant impact on the state for decades to come. These include:
Yes on Prop 1, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026, which will fund more than 40,000 affordable homes for lower-income households, preserve more than 5,500 existing housing units, help more than 13,000 first-time homebuyers purchase a home, and create more than 53,000 construction jobs.
Yes on Prop 3, Renew State Income Tax Increase for Education Funding Initiative, to protect funding for our schools and healthcare by maintaining the state’s progressive income tax rates, which the wealthiest 2% have paid for 15 years.
Yes on Prop 37, the Second Mortgage Homebuyer Program and Revenue Bond Initiative, which will establish a state-administered second mortgage down payment assistance program for middle-income homebuyers, making housing more accessible to Californians being priced out of homeownership.
No on Prop 40, joining doctors, Planned Parenthood, teachers, firefighters, small business groups and entrepreneurs, Governor Newsom, both the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, and many others in opposing this measure, which would damage California’s economy and cost the state budget billions in lost revenue—all without doing anything to lower healthcare costs.
Yes on Prop 41, the Prohibit Excluding New State Taxes from Spending Limit and Require Special Tax Audits Initiative, which will make the state government more transparent and accountable, so taxpayer money is used more effectively and delivers better results. Since 2019, California’s state budget has surged by 79 percent—a growth of more than $100 billion, with too little to show for it.
Yes on Prop 42, the Retirement and Personal Savings Protection Act, which prevents double taxation by closing a loophole in California's Constitution that allows politicians and special interests to pass new taxes on retirement accounts, life savings, and other personal property—something Sacramento has repeatedly attempted to do.
Building a Better California also released the following statement (for use in news publications or broadcast, the statement may be attributed to a Building a Better California spokesperson):
“The state is at an inflection point. Between skyrocketing costs, a housing crisis, and some of the country's highest taxes—with less and less to show for it—the California dream is drifting out of reach for many. California’s future rests on both maintaining our economic competitiveness and making smart, accountable public investments that improve affordability and quality of life for all.
That’s why we’re joining teachers, firefighters, doctors, Planned Parenthood, Governor Newsom, both the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, business groups and entrepreneurs, and the many others who oppose Prop 40. It’s rare for such a broad coalition to unite around any single cause in California, but it reflects the potentially devastating impact of this measure on healthcare, education, and our state’s economy. The impact of Prop 40 is clear: it will create a permanent hole in the state budget. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst reports a likely ongoing decrease of billions in state income tax revenue, and Stanford University economists estimate Prop 40 will end up costing the state nearly $25 billion. The result: there will be less money for schools, public safety, and healthcare—the problem Prop 40 purports to fix.
We are also supporting Prop 3, to protect stable funding for our schools and healthcare by maintaining the state’s progressive income tax rates, which the wealthiest 2% have paid for 15 years. We will continue to champion bold policies like Props. 1 and 37, which will boost housing production and ownership and lower costs, so that more families can afford homeownership. Finally, we will keep advocating for more transparency in government and stronger safeguards for taxpayers, with support for measures like Prop 41, which ensures better results from state spending, and Prop 42, which, in one of the most expensive states in the country to retire in, will protect individual retirement accounts from future taxation—something that has been tried multiple times.“
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About Building a Better California: We are a non-partisan 501(c)(4) organization that believes the California dream is worth fighting for—we are focused on improving affordability and quality of life for all Californians and ensuring the state remains a center of innovation, good-paying jobs, and economic opportunity. We believe that California shouldn't just be a place where people want to live, but a place where they can afford to dream big and thrive.