• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, June 6, 2016

The California ballot, both the primary in June and the general election in November, offers residents the opportunity to vote for a radical change in public policy.

During a cycle where the amount spent on political advertising is increasing drastically, a captivating statewide initiative has the chance to make it onto the November ballot.

The “California Political Advertisement Sales Tax Initiative” (15-0106) would impose a 1,000% tax on political advertising in the state, with returns used exclusively for funding education.

Political groups and candidates would have the first million dollars exempted, ensuring that smaller campaigns remain viable in local markets.

Passage of such a measure would likely have drastic effects on the political advertising market in California. It would disincentivize certain ads -- possibly limit negative ones -- and highlight the importance of awareness around candidates and causes.

This move could have a deep effect on our national democracy, as negative and attack ads often have suppressive repercussions on voter turnout.

The proposal does sound extreme, and the text itself predicts a revision of the 1,000% number. “If a Federal District Court or Supreme Court of the United States find this tax to be too high, this law shall immediately ratchet down to the highest acceptable level and remain in place.”

Super PACs and outside groups do pay a hefty markup in many markets, when compared to candidate campaigns. The return, however, doesn’t translate into public revenue. The incentivization structure around political advertising would see a serious shift.

The initiative still needs to reach the threshold of 585,407 valid signatures to be included on the ballot in November, no short order. A similar proposal, that didn’t include the $1,000,000 exemption, failed to reach the necessary total signatures in the allotted time.

At a time when the political advertising landscape is quickly adjusting to new technologies, ballot initiatives like 15-0106 are pushing the boundaries around the regulation of political advertising.