In Reply to: So why even include the loophole? posted by ClockBlocker on October 18, 2026 at 20:14:33
This is cut and pasted from Gemini, it was done intentionally because of how California law works.
According to a detailed breakdown by the drafters published in Tax Notes, the clause was added for practical, technical reasons rather than as a hidden mechanism to lower the tax threshold:
• Enabling Technical Corrections: In California, if a ballot initiative is passed by voters as a standard statute, the State Legislature is entirely barred from changing any part of it in the future—even to fix a typo, close a minor tax shelter, or adjust administrative deadlines—unless the initiative explicitly gives them the authority to do so.
• Avoiding Future Ballots for Minor Tweaks: The drafters noted that implementing a highly complex, first-of-its-kind wealth tax requires the Franchise Tax Board to create entirely new asset valuation systems. They explicitly included the amendment language so that lawmakers could make small, necessary adjustments to enforcement or administrative rules over time without having to spend millions of dollars putting a minor cleanup measure back on a future statewide ballot.