Florida Governor Rick Scott, who boasts of cutting taxes dozens of times, has a chance to secure his legacy for years to come -- even if Democrats manage to sweep his party completely out of power.
That’s because the two-term Republican governor and U.S. Senate candidate is behind a ballot measure that would alter the state’s constitution to require that two-thirds of the legislature must sign off on any tax increases, compared with a simple majority now. If voters approve, it would create a a major hurdle to raising revenue in what’s already one of the least-taxed U.S. states.
The measure in Florida is part of a decades-long push by Republicans to make it harder for states to raise taxes, one that was inaugurated by the passage of California’s Proposition 13 two years before Ronald Reagan won the presidency. Similar proposals also appear on the November ballots in North Carolina and Oregon.
"If a future legislature wanted to turn Florida into Illinois or New York they better be sure they can get two-thirds of their colleagues on board," said Sal Nuzzo, vice president of policy for the conservative-leaning James Madison Institute in Tallahassee.
Fourteen states require more than a simple majority vote among lawmakers to enact new taxes or raise them, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Florida amendment would impose the higher threshold on increases to existing taxes and fees as well as the introduction of new ones. Oregon voters will consider a similar measure requiring that three-fifths of lawmakers in both chambers approve revenue increases, while in North Carolina voters will consider making it unconstitutional to raise the personal income-tax rate above 7 percent.
Hands Tied
Opponents say such restrictions are a recipe for political paralysis or deep budget cuts the next time the economy lapses into a recession.
"It restricts future lawmakers -- even next year or in five years or ten years -- from making fiscally responsible decisions," said Meg Wiehe, deputy director of the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. "Whoever is in charge of the state should be able to make decisions that are best for the state at that time."
Florida state Senator Kelli Stargel, a Republican in favor of the supermajority proposal, said the state weathered the last recession better than others and kept its AAA credit rating, all without an income tax.
If an unforeseen event were to happen that created the need to raise revenue, then lawmakers could likely meet the vote threshold, Stargel added. "To raise taxes, there needs to be an overwhelming reason," she said.