Teachers union wants Legislature to vote on taxes

[alp227]

(04-13) 04:00 PDT Sacramento - --

The leader of California's largest teachers union said Tuesday that Gov. Jerry Brown should bypass voters and seek the approval of the Legislature for new taxes to close the state's deficit.

David Sanchez, president of the California Teachers Association, said the union could have a harder time supporting an election later in the year, which is what would have to happen if the governor were to keep his campaign pledge.

"If the governor were to propose an election say in September or November, it no longer becomes a question of extending the current taxes," Sanchez said. "It then becomes a question of raising taxes, which would be extremely more difficult and challenging (for) voters to pass."

The governor is facing mounting pressure to drop his campaign pledge to put tax extensions and increases on the ballot. Sanchez's statement carries weight because the teachers association is one of Brown's most powerful labor allies and would presumably be a key source of funding for any tax campaign.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/12/BAO91IVA1T.DTL