A senate committee is advancing a joint resolution from the House to raise the voting threshold for legislative measures that impose or increase taxes. The resolution would raise the threshold from a simple majority to a three-fifths vote.
Republican Representative Jon Hansen sponsors the proposal. It would also affect any measure that proposes spending of $10 million dollars or more.
“Our Legislative Research Council already does fiscal notes on ballot measures. All the secretary of state would need to do is read the fiscal note to certify whether the measure raises taxes or spends $10 million or more in any given fiscal year. If the secretary of state reads that and certifies that, then the secretary of state will know whether the measure takes a 50 percent threshold or a 60 percent threshold.”
Hansen says the goal is to make it tougher to pass tax increases. No one testified against the proposal.
The committee passed the resolution 6-3. It now advances to the Senate floor.