Voters Pass Regional Transit Tax and Prop 3 While Rejecting Prop 39

Bay Area and statewide voters reshaped public transit and education finance this week by approving the five-county Regional Transit Measure and San Francisco's Measure H, making permanent California's high-earner school income tax under Proposition 3, and rejecting the Proposition 39 voter identification initiative.

Voters Approve Five-County Regional Transit Measure and San Francisco Measure H

Authorized by 2025's Senate Bill 63 (the Connect Bay Area Act by state Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom), the 14-year Regional Transit Measure (RTM) passed with 61.5% preliminary support across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, according to County Connection and Patch Danville. The measure levies a 0.5% sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties and a 1% sales tax in San Francisco to generate approximately $980 million (nearly $1 billion) annually over 14 years.

In Contra Costa County, 56% of voters backed RTM, while San Francisco voters approved it by 134,191 "Yes" votes to 38,663 "No" votes and Alameda County voters backed it 193,325 to 103,295. Connect Bay Area spokesperson Jeff Cretan hailed the outcome as BART sought to close a $350 million to $400 million structural deficit—where passenger fares and parking fees previously covered nearly 70% of operating costs, annual fee hikes added $15.6 million, and an unaverted crisis would have closed 15 BART stations and raised fares 50%—though Gregg Dieguez of the Committee for Affordable Bay Area Transit questioned oversight provisions. Roughly two-thirds of RTM revenue supports street-level transit operations while one-third funds local priorities through agencies such as the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), subject to Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) financial efficiency reviews highlighted by MTC Chair and Pleasant Hill Councilmember Sue Noack. County Connection General Manager Bill Churchill noted that the agency—which links riders to eight BART stations alongside LAVTA, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT—will coordinate with LAVTA on a jointly operated Interstate 680 express bus between the Dublin/Pleasanton and Walnut Creek BART stations with stops in San Ramon and Danville.

In San Francisco, voters also passed Measure H—a 15-year parcel tax taking effect in July 2027 to raise $150 million annually for Muni—by 72.44% to 27.56% (126,168 "Yes" to 47,995 "No"), while rejecting Measure G (62.79% or 109,319 "No" vs. 37.21% or 64,776 "Yes" on private vehicles in Sunset Dunes Park) and Measure I (54.97% or 93,917 "No" vs. 45.03% or 76,936 "Yes" on transfer taxes with a five-year new-construction break), and approving Measure J (79.06% or 135,129 "Yes" vs. 20.94% or 35,793 "No"). In legislative tallies, Scott Wiener led Connie Chan 87,641 to 70,511 in District 11, Kevin Mullin led Charles Hoelter 13,048 to 3,535 in District 15, Matt Haney led Manuel Noris-Barrera 84,457 to 10,513 in District 17, and Catherine Stefani led Phillip Louis Wing 63,236 to 13,073 in District 19.

California Voters Approve Proposition 3 to Make High-Earner School Tax Permanent

Statewide, voters approved Proposition 3 by 59% to 41% to make permanent a 12.3% income tax rate on individuals earning over $371,000 or couples earning over $743,000, according to CalMatters reporting in the Mountain View Voice. First approved in 2012, renewed in 2016, and previously set to expire in 2031, the tax generates between $5,000 million and $15,000 million ($5 billion and $15 billion) annually—up to 15% of total school revenue.

Under the Proposition 98 funding formula, which guarantees 40% of state revenue for education, 89% of the funds go to K-12 schools and 11% to community colleges. The California Teachers Association spent nearly $60 million on advertising and visited more than 200,000 homes, with union president David Goldberg and California School Boards Association president Debra Schade welcoming the result, while critics warned that the 200 wealthiest residents facing a separate 5% tax under Proposition 40 could leave the state.

Voters Reject GOP-Backed Proposition 39 Voter ID Initiative

California voters also rejected Proposition 39, a voter identification constitutional amendment placed on the ballot by San Diego Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio and Reform California after gathering more than 875,000 signatures in March, with about 60% voting no when The Associated Press called the race at 49% of votes counted, according to The Almanac.

Endorsed by the California Republican Party and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Prop. 39 amassed $37 million in support—including $17 million from Richard Uihlein, $8 million from Joe Gebbia, and more than $3 million each from Steven Bray and Reform California—citing 36 states with voter ID rules (10 strict) under National Conference of State Legislatures data. Opponents—led by Secretary of State Shirley Weber, League of Women Voters of California Executive Director Jenny Farrell, Common Cause, the ACLU, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Adam Schiff, Xavier Becerra, and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas—raised $35 million, including nearly $6.5 million from the Democratic Party, more than $2 million each from labor and tribal groups, and $3 million combined from Quinn Delaney and Patty Quillin.