Today's Brew highlights how a California group is seeking to get a second split roll tax initiative on the 2020 ballot + the triplex offices being decided in 2019
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Welcome to the Tuesday, August 20, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

* California group announces intent to qualify second taxation initiative for 2020
* Triplex status at stake in three states in 2019
* Results of our August 16 Brew readers' poll about Supreme Court coverage

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** CALIFORNIA GROUP ANNOUNCES INTENT TO QUALIFY SECOND TAXATION INITIATIVE FOR 2020
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Over the past decade, California has averaged 10 initiatives on the ballot. The average cost per measure during that time to qualify an initiative for the ballot was $2.46 million. 

A California group—Schools & Communities First—announced last week that it would file a new version of an initiative to require commercial and industrial properties, except those zoned as commercial agriculture, to be taxed based on their MARKET VALUE. It’s uncommon for a group to successfully qualify an initiative for the ballot and then attempt to replace it, so here’s a summary.

Under current California law—established by the state’s approval of Proposition 13 in 1978—governments are required to tax residential, commercial, and industrial properties based on the property's purchase price, with an annual adjustment equal to the rate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is lower. Taxing business and residential properties based on different valuations is known as a split roll tax.

In 2018, proponents of the measure qualified their initiative for the 2020 ballot after initially targeting the 2018 ballot. As we previously covered in the_ Brew ([link removed]) _, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders endorsed the measure when speaking at the Los Angeles teachers’ union conference in July. Schools & Communities First then filed a new version of the initiative on August 13 and announced they would be focusing on a new signature petition drive to put the revised version on the ballot. 

Tyler Law, a spokesperson for the campaign, said the group would not officially withdraw the currently qualified initiative from the ballot until the refiled initiative qualifies. 

Both the initiative that already qualified for the 2020 ballot and the refiled version would allocate revenue from the increased commercial and industrial property taxes to local community college and school districts and local governments. THE NEW VERSION IS ESTIMATED TO PROVIDE $6.5 BILLION TO $10.5 BILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE.

Here are some differences between the two versions: 

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The qualified initiative would provide an exception for businesses with property value up to $2 million. The revised version would widen that exception to include up to $3 million.

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Both versions provide a full property tax exemption for businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees. The new initiative would require that the business be independently owned and operated, located in California, and owned by California residents to qualify for the exemption. 

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The currently qualified initiative would go into effect on January 1, 2020. The new version would go into effect on January 1, 2022, and would phase in over up to three years for any property at least 50% occupied by small businesses.

The initiative that already qualified for the ballot required 585,407 valid signatures. Proponents spent $3.5 million to collect 855,623 signatures, with 661,306 of them deemed valid. 

The revised initiative will need to qualify for the ballot according to requirements determined by turnout in the 2018 election. This means it will need 997,139 valid signatures, THE LARGEST INITIATIVE SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY.

Learn more ([link removed])

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** TRIPLEX STATUS AT STAKE IN THREE STATES IN 2019 
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We regularly discuss state government trifectas in the Brew, which is a term used to describe when the same party holds the governor’s office and both houses of the state’s legislature. When a party holds trifecta control in a state, it is easier for them to pass legislation without the support of members of the minority party. 

Another state government status is a TRIPLEX, WHICH IS WHEN A STATE'S GOVERNOR, ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND SECRETARY OF STATE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE SAME POLITICAL PARTY. In states where these officers are not all from the same party, differing political views can bring them into direct conflict with one another.   

Three states—Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi—are holding elections in 2019 for all three triplex offices—governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Currently, none of these three states has a triplex.

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In Kentucky, Democrats hold the attorney general and secretary of state offices while Republican Matt Bevin (R) is governor. Attorney General Andy Beshear (D) is running against Bevin in the gubernatorial election, leaving his seat open, while Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) is term-limited. Bevin's election as governor in 2015 broke a Democratic triplex which had existed since 2011.

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In Louisiana, Republicans hold the attorney general and secretary of state offices while Democrat John Bel Edwards (D) is the governor. Edwards, Attorney General Jeff Landry (R), and Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin (R) are all running for re-election this year. Edwards' election as governor broke a Republican triplex which had been in place since 2011.

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In Mississippi, Republicans hold the governorship and secretary of state's office while Democrat Jim Hood (D) is attorney general. All three seats are open. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) is term-limited, while Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann (R) is running for lieutenant governor and Hood is running for governor. No party has held a triplex in Mississippi since Haley Barbour (R) was elected governor in 2003, breaking a Democratic triplex which had existed since the 1999 elections. 

The last time these three states held elections where none of them had a triplex was in 2007. No triplexes formed as a result of elections that year. 

CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 18 STATES WITH A REPUBLICAN TRIPLEX, 17 STATES WITH A DEMOCRATIC TRIPLEX, AND 15 STATES THAT ARE UNDER DIVIDED CONTROL. Heading into the 2018 elections, Republicans had 22 triplexes to Democrats' 12. Democratic triplexes were formed in four states—Colorado, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, and Wisconsin—while Republican triplexes were broken in Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, and North Dakota.

[Triplexes]

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** RESULTS OF OUR AUGUST 16 BREW READERS' POLL ABOUT SUPREME COURT COVERAGE
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The Supreme Court’s new term begins in less than seven weeks—on October 7. The court has already agreed to hear 44 cases during its 2019-2020 term. Between 2007 and 2018, SCOTUS released opinions in approximately 70 to 90 cases per year.

WE COVER THE SUPREME COURT EXTENSIVELY BOTH ON BALLOTPEDIA.ORG AND IN OUR NEWSLETTER ABOUT THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY—_BOLD JUSTICE ([link removed]) _. I also highlight certain cases from time to time in the Brew, which prompted the _What’s the Tea?_ question last week: 

[What's the tea?]

As always, thanks for sharing your views with us.

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