In a 3-to-1 vote in Sacramento on Wednesday, the bill from Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, and Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, to compel Fresno County’s transportation tax onto the Nov. 3 ballot cleared its first hurdle.

After getting approval from the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee, AB 1923 now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote Thursday before it will get a vote in the Assembly and head to the governor’s office all in the same day.

The hearing Wednesday will be the only Senate committee hearing for the urgency bill.

“We’re utilizing an extraordinary process and it’s extraordinary because it has got a really short timeline,” Caballero said. “We’ve got to get everything done by tomorrow.”

Even a signature from the governor may not be the end for the Measure C saga, however, as Paul Yoder, lobbyist for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors said at the meeting the body would consider suing the state for its “unprecedented” move.

Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, said the Better Roads Safe Streets transportation tax proposal passed the “smell test in terms of popular support.” He said taxes are hard things to get approved, but the support from rural mayors, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, and unions and community groups showed a broad coalition of support.

“There’s a strong case to be made that there’s a lot of popular support to put this on the ballot,” Allen said at the meeting.

County Has the Authority to Request a Study: Choi

Sen. Steven Choi, R-Irvine, said state law gives county supervisors the legal authority to request a study. He said state law needs to be applied consistently and fairly, saying a “three-decade tax commitment should get full analysis before it goes to voters.”

“It should be disappointing to set a precedent whenever proponents dislike the timeline they can simply turn to the Legislature before the county can complete its legally authorized analysis,” Choi said from the dais.

Soria and Caballero brought a host of supporters to defend the repurposed AB 1923 that was originally a hospital loan plan before it was rewritten to push Better Roads Safe Streets onto the November ballot.

Supporters included a variety of carpenters unions, transit unions, and local elected leaders.

Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco said in committee testimony that the transportation measure helps get rural residents to their jobs and to schools.

“Let the people have their voices and not be silenced,” Pacheco said.

Mendota Mayor Victor Martinez said disadvantaged communities like his cannot raise money for road repair.

Alameda County Supervisors Order Study on $30 Minimum Wage

Committee members had nuanced questions for witnesses about the history that led AB 1923 to be brought before legislators. Committee Chair Sen. Scott Weiner asked about supervisors’ choice on July 14 to call for a study, delaying approval of Better Roads Safe Streets past the Aug. 7 deadline to make the ballot.

“Do you think that’s appropriate?” Wiener asked.

At that, former Fresno County Supervisor and Fresno City Councilmember Henry R. Perea told the committee that if it hadn’t been for errors in the signature gathering process, there wouldn’t have been a timing issue.

He also mentioned how the groups behind Better Roads Safe Streets killed a transportation tax extension in 2022.

“The very group that’s standing … behind us raised money and killed that ballot initiative,” Perea said.

Alameda County supervisors are similarly requesting a study on a petition to raise the minimum wage in that county to $30.

On Tuesday, supervisors in there ordered an economic impact study that would likely disqualify the initiative from the November ballot.

Choi said counties need to understand how these measures will affect their local economies.

“Counties must be able to rely on the election code to be applied fairly and uniformly,” Choi said. “If the Legislature can selectively override procedures of one county, that demands a review process.”