(CN) — The Ninth Circuit on Thursday rejected a bid by an anti-tax group to block CalSavers, California’s state-sponsored retirement plan for private workers. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA), an influential anti-tax group with roots in the Golden State, sued the CalSavers program claiming it was preempted by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). CalSavers allows eligible employers that do not offer 401(k) plans or pensions to automatically enroll their employees in the program. Workers can opt out, but if they choose to stay the state of California invests their contributions. Critics believe the program adds unnecessary requirements for small employers trying to comply with California’s complicated business laws. To that end, Howard Jarvis sued in the Eastern District of California as an employer, and also claimed CalSavers was a waste of money that discouraged people from saving money on their own.