California voters reject tax on rich for more electric cars

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California voters have rejected a new tax on the state’s richest residents. Proposition 30 would have boosted the tax on incomes above $2 million to help put more electric cars on the road. Backers of the measure said California badly needs a reliable source of money to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. The measure’s defeat marks a win for Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who campaigned against it despite his support for electric cars. He called it a corporate giveaway for ridesharing companies like Lyft, which paid for the “yes” campaign.