Fate Of Measure C May Be Decided In Court

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — With all precincts counted from Tuesday's election, passage of Alameda County Measure C leads by 61 percent to 38. But before pro-C supporters start counting their money from a higher sales tax, they may want to wait until a court decides on its legality.

The California constitution says that tax increases must be approved by two-thirds of voters. However, supporters of Measure C and some other measures around the state believe that measures put on the ballot through signature-gathering only require approval by a simple majority.

The legal issue is currently pending in the state Court of Appeal and centers around interpretation of ambiguous language in a 2017 state Supreme Court ruling.

If allowed to go into effect, Measure C would raise an estimated $150 million a year. The measure calls for 20 percent of the revenue that's raised to go toward expanding free and low-cost health care and emergency services at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, and 80 percent toward funding child care and preschool programs.

— Patch editor Bea Karnes and Bay City News contributed to this story

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