Judge Calls Gas Tax Initiative Description Misleading

Sacramento, CA — A California judge says he is leaning towards ordering the attorney general’s to reword the description of a ballot initiative to repeal the recently approved gas tax increase calling it misleading.

The description appears on petition forms and the ballot. In a tentative ruling, County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley states he is likely to order Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra to rewrite the ballot title and summary. Judge Frawley appears to agree with candidate for governor, Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen, who filed the suit and is backing the repeal initiative, by suggesting that Becerra’s description would be confusing to voters due to its focus on the loss of transportation funding rather than the repeal of taxes.

The judge will hear arguments on new language prepared for the title and summary prepared by Becerra on Friday. If approved, Allen can use that to circulate a petition, which needs to collect 365,000 signatures from registered voters in 150 days to put the measure on the November 2018 ballot.