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Proposal to require two-thirds legislative vote for tax increases gets contentious hearing and is tabled
Summary
A legislator proposed requiring a two-thirds majority to adopt new or increased taxes; members debated whether the measure would be legally effective and the item was later tabled at the sponsor's request.
A proposed measure to amend county rules to require a two-thirds majority of the Legislature to adopt any tax increase drew substantial debate and procedural skepticism before the sponsor agreed to table the item.
Sponsor Legislator Drake presented the idea as a guardrail to discourage future tax increases and cited constituent concerns about cost of living. Several legislators, including the chair and counsel, questioned the legal effect of such a measure as a resolution (rather than a local law) and whether it could bind future legislatures. Others said the proposal addressed real concerns about taxes and government size.
Legislator Reed and others argued the measure would have no binding legal effect without being adopted as a local law, and committee members worried it could be procedurally flawed or create governance problems. After discussion and objections about legal sufficiency and effectiveness, the sponsor agreed to table the proposal to consider the proper legal vehicle and draft language.
The committee recorded the matter as tabled and discussed next steps: if the sponsor wishes to proceed, the item should be reintroduced as a legal vehicle capable of producing the desired effect and accommodate legal review before being advanced.
