Proposition 30 was approved by Californian voters on Nov. 6 which will give a sales tax increase
to help students all over California.

Calif. state sales tax, currently at 7.25 percent, will increase to 7.5 percent according to ballotpedia.org. The website also states that there will be an increased income tax for the wealthy. It will be broken down into four different price brackets in which they will pay an increased amount of taxes.

Those whose income is more than $250,000 and less than $300,000 will pay 10.3 percent in taxes, those whose income is $300,000 but less than $500,000 will pay 11.3 percent tax increase, those whose income are over $500,000 and up to $1,000,000 will pay 12.3 percent, and for those whose income is over $1,000,000 will pay 13.3 percent in taxes. These taxes for the wealthy will stay in place for seven years.

“We avoided the biggest cut,” said Mike Uhlenkamp, the director of media relations and new media at the Cal State level. Students now won’t be “turned away” and the cost of tuition will not increase. Students that have applied to the Cal State Universities will now start hearing back from the schools. The application cycle was put on hold, but is now open.

Proposition 30 will require the revenue from the increased taxes to be placed in a separate account that can only be used for education. The account will enter into an independent audit that will be open to the public every year to ensure that legislature is using those funds for public schools and public safety, according to YesonProp30.com.

The language in this bill regarding the separate account the money would be placed into was a big sticking point for the anti-Proposition 30 forces. They contended that funds collected from Proposition 30 taxes would actually be placed into California’s general account and not into the coffers of schools. Gov. Brown countered before the election that this was the most expedient manner to dole out the money to the schools. The governor’s passion in his support for this bill was essential to its passage.

Skyline College student Walter Manuofeta thought that it could cause “more financial problems for some families, (but) on the other side I think it is good for college students and will be a real big help.”
The tax increase will be in effect on January 1, 2013 according to Mercury News.

“I think Prop 30 being passed is a great thing for students because it won’t cut school and college budgets which was planned,” Andre Lacy, a Skyline student, said. “… [Prop 30] is going to empower the future for our gene nation to be able to continue forth in school and get good jobs and better the world.”