Atkins, Steinberg, Villaraigosa & Schaaf Sound Alarm on Prop. 40: “It Sends Us Speeding Toward a Fiscal Cliff”
SACRAMENTO, CA — The No on 40 coalition today announced that four of California’s most experienced local and state leaders — former San Diego City Councilmember and Acting Mayor, Assembly Speaker, and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins; former Senate President Pro Tempore and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg; former Assembly Speaker and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; and former Mayor of Oakland and current Bay Area Council President and CEO Libby Schaaf — are all opposing Proposition 40.
The leaders, who together have nearly 100 years of public service at the highest levels of state and local government, warned voters that Proposition 40 jeopardizes the state’s fiscal stability and economy, while compounding California’s healthcare, housing, and affordability challenges.
“While I appreciate the intentions behind Prop. 40, I’m concerned it could undermine the progress we’ve made over the past 15 years to stabilize the state’s finances,” said Toni Atkins, who was the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to lead the Legislature’s upper house and the first in 150 years to lead both the Senate and Assembly. “Californians need real solutions to our housing and affordability challenges, including rising healthcare premiums, and I don’t believe this measure delivers them. That’s why I’m standing with housing advocates and Planned Parenthood in opposing Prop. 40.”
“Prop. 40 may be well intentioned, but it is bad. It was crafted without input from our state’s top leaders and it sends us speeding toward a fiscal cliff. We all want to fix our healthcare system, but this measure is not the answer,” said Darrell Steinberg, who served as the 56th Mayor of Sacramento from 2016 to 2024. “I urge Californians to join teachers, doctors, and firefighters and vote No on 40.”
“Prop. 40 is built on false promises — the biggest being that this is just about billionaires and won’t hurt you. In truth, it’s all 40 million Californians who will suffer when our budget blows up and our economy tanks because of Prop. 40,” said Antonio Villaraigosa, who served as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. “We can’t afford to gamble with our future and that’s why I’m voting No on 40.”
“We all want a California that is more affordable, more equitable, and more prosperous. But we cannot tax our way to those goals by discouraging the investment and innovation that fuel economic growth,” said Libby Schaaf, who served as the 50th Mayor of Oakland from 2015 to 2023. “The path forward is creating more housing, improving education, and expanding economic opportunity — not imposing a wealth tax that risks shrinking the resources available to support those priorities. Prop. 40 would move California in the wrong direction.”
This announcement builds on strong opposition from the state’s leading Democrats, including Governor Gavin Newsom, former HHS Secretary and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, the San Francisco Democratic Party, and many others. Additionally, 20 Democrats in the State Assembly and Senate — representing millions of Californians in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, and San Diego counties, as well as the Inland Empire, Gateway Cities, San Gabriel Valley, Bay Area, and Sacramento Valley — are standing together against Proposition 40.
They join a broad coalition of doctors, teachers, healthcare providers, labor unions, firefighters, civil rights leaders, affordable housing advocates, small businesses, veterans, and agricultural leaders, opposing Proposition 40. Yesterday, the No on 40 coalition announced new opposition from Black community, faith, civil rights, and business leaders across the state.
Among the organizations opposing Proposition 40 are the California Teachers Association, California Medical Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, California Primary Care Association Advocates, California Hospital Association, California Professional Firefighters, State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, Housing California, California School Boards Association, and many others.
Leading publications have also opined against Proposition 40, raising concerns about the measure’s impact on the state’s economy, fiscal stability, and essential public services. This includes the Southern California News Group and its 11 daily newspapers, San Francisco Chronicle, La Opinión, Los Angeles Times, KCRA 3, San Diego Union-Tribune, Bakersfield Californian, El Popular, Bay Area Reporter, Santa Barbara Independent, Oakland Post, Mercury News/East Bay Times, and the Washington Post, among many others