Why Do Some Tax Increase Bills Only Contain an Urgency Clause?
Why Do Some Tax Increase Bills Only Contain an Urgency Clause? B y Chris Micheli Some have raised the question why a bill that is clearly a tax increase contains an urgency clause and does not mention that it is a tax increase. A bill that would raise taxes and does not contain an urgency clause will have these statements in the Legislative Counsel’s Digest: This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 2 / 3 of the membership of each house of the Legislature. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy. A bill that contains just an urgency clause will have these statements in the Legislative Counsel’s Digest: This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Back to the initial question -- Basically, the Office of Legislat...