✍️ 2026 Ballot Measure Petition Guide

The Connect Bay Area Act (signed into law by Gov. Newsom, and co-authored by Sen. Wiener and Sen. Arreguín) authorizes a regional sales tax measure for the November 2026 ballot to prevent major cuts to Bay Area public transit. The measure would raise sales taxes for 14 years (sunsetting in 2041): 0.5¢ in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, and 1¢ in San Francisco, generating about $1 billion per year. Funds would stabilize BART, Muni, AC Transit, Caltrain, and smaller operators.

Imposes one-time tax of up to 5% on taxpayers and trusts with covered assets valued over $1 billion; covered assets include businesses, securities, art, collectibles, and intellectual property, but exclude real property and some pensions and retirement accounts. Allocates 90% of these tax revenues for health care, 10% for food assistance or education-related programs; prohibits using revenues to replace existing funding for these purposes.

Makes permanent the existing 2012 voter-approved tax rates for high-income Californians, currently set to expire in 2031. Rates apply to personal income over about $360,000 for single filers, $721,000 for joint filers, and $490,000 for heads of household (2024 levels; adjusted annually for inflation). Allocates tax revenues 89% to K-12 schools, 11% to community colleges.

This measure authorizes $8.4 billion in state general obligation bonds to fund immune system research. The funding would be split evenly between an institute affiliated with the University of California, and a competitive grant program for public and nonprofit universities and research institutions, with at least half of all funds dedicated to cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's research. In exchange for public funding, recipients would be required to make drugs and technologies developed with this money available in California at 20% below the national average price.

Requires rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft to exercise a heightened standard of care to avoid harm to passengers. Makes rideshare companies legally responsible for sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, against riders or drivers, regardless of whether driver is an independent contractor. Requires rideshare companies to publish monthly report of sexual misconduct incidents and notify riders of known risks of sexual misconduct associated with a matched driver. Requires annual fingerprinting and background checks for rideshare drivers.