California GOP leaders questioned for oddly backing Dems’ green light of local sales tax hikes
California Assembly minority leader Heath Flora and caucus chair Juan Alanis voted to support Senate Bill 762, which would allow select counties and cities to exceed the state’s 2% sales tax cap. Their votes broke with the Republican Party’s usual opposition to local tax increases and provided the two‑thirds majority needed for the bill’s passage. The measure now awaits a procedural vote in the California Senate before it can be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom.
- ▪Flora and Alanis were the only Republicans to vote "yes" on the bill, while all other GOP members voted no or abstained.
- ▪The bill would let about a dozen localities, including Santa Barbara County and cities such as Palo Alto and Santa Cruz, seek higher sales tax rates to offset federal health and human services cuts.
- ▪Critics, including the California Taxpayers Association and fellow Republicans, argue the cap should be preserved to curb rising living costs.
- ▪The vote gave the bill the exact two‑thirds majority required, despite some Democrats also refraining from voting.
- ▪Flora’s leadership has faced criticism over his low primary support, alleged personal misconduct, and perceived closeness to lobbyists.
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Politics California GOP leaders questioned for oddly backing Dems’ green light of local sales tax hikes By Titus Wu and Josh Koehn Published July 7, 2026, 8:50 p.m. ET (function() { var overlay = document.getElementById("nyp-player-lcp-overlay"); if (!overlay) { return; } function hideOverlay() { overlay.remove(); } function afterDCL() { requestAnimationFrame(hideOverlay); } if (document.readyState === "loading") { document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", afterDCL, { once: true }); } else { afterDCL(); } })(); See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The California Post on Google California lawmakers are sending to Gov.
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