Taxpayer Standing in Flux in California
The California Supreme Court made it harder to challenge laws and state government spending for allegedly misusing taxpayer funds, spelling an uncertain future for several pending cases.
In contrast to federal courts, California courts have long allowed taxpayers to bring legal challenges without showing they’re personally harmed by a policy or action—simply being a California taxpayer is enough. The state court’s rules have been used by plaintiffs to challenge, for example, police use of force, the state’s Medicaid program Medi-Cal, and vehicle impoundment enforcement.
But that changed on Nov. 6, when the ...