Committee lays over bill to neutralize school-referendum ballot language

A sponsor introduced House File 3798 to change the wording of school-referendum ballot questions by removing a sentence that reads, "By voting yes on this ballot question, you are voting for a property tax increase." The sponsor said the current language can mischaracterize how referendums affect taxpayers and that districts already provide individualized tax notices and calculators before an election.

Ken McLaughlin, who identified himself as a school-board treasurer, told the committee that the single-sentence ballot language oversimplifies complex impacts and can confuse voters at the ballot box even when districts provide detailed, personalized notices beforehand. He said his district provided individualized tax calculators and required mail notices but that the one-line sentence in the voting booth can still produce misunderstandings that influenced recent referendum outcomes and subsequent budget cuts.

Committee members discussed trade-offs between concise ballot language and voter clarity. One member argued the sentence is misleading because property-tax impacts vary by property classification and assessed values; another said the sentence helps inform voters. Representatives asked for additional review from House research before further action.

Members adopted a technical oral amendment updating a date in the bill and laid the bill over for possible inclusion; no final committee vote on the substantive proposal occurred during the hearing.