The State Senate, among other things, voted last night to combine three ballot questions into one – a “Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights” (TABOR) that would go before the voters in the March presidential primary. The three components of the amendment:
*Would cap income tax at 5%
*Tie spending increases to population growth plus inflation
*Emergency savings fund that can be activated by a two-thirds legislative majority
Democrats, including Josh Stein, were upset about the three questions being combined, but Sen. Brent Jackson of Sampson said the three “went together like a glove.” A 3/5ths majority vote in both chambers will be needed to sent the amendment to the voters. The Senate has the votes.
If the House agrees, the measure will appear on the ballot in March. Unless the Democrats have a competitive presidential primary, expect Republican turnout to dwarf Democratic turnout, easily passing the amendment into law, and making it very difficult for future legislative sessions to increase spending. It’s yet another example of how the General Assembly is leaving its ideological mark on the state – a mark that will remain for years and years to come.
Currently, Colorado is the only state which has TABOR. The Centennial State has also decriminalized marijuana. No word on whether the General Assembly plans to follow Colorado’s lead on that issue.
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
I lived in Colorado for thee years and witnessed first hand the devastating impact of the TABOR law. It hurt and continues to hurt public education and particularly higher education. Colorado has fallen to next to the bottom this past year and will be dead last next year in public funding support for higher education in the entire United States. As a result, Colorado’s only nationally respected university, UC-Boulder, is now essentially functioning as a private institution. But, the damage has extended across many sectors of the Colorado economy – and with coal and petroleum prices being depressed, the economic health of the state is at risk. What saves Colorado is its natural environment, which is so attractive to young people, in particular – and, ironically, the large federal
investment in the state. Colorado can and does import its talent.
NC, too, has enjoyed a reputation as a beautiful and attractive state to others.However, this General Assembly seems intent on damaging our long-standing commitment to
clean water, clean air, and pristine, groin-free, beaches. Now this do-nothing General Assembly seems intent on destroying the state’s stable economic tax base. TABOR is a completely bad idea that we can only hope does not emerge from this “short-session” of the General Assembly!
How dare those stupid rural people exist and vote.
I assume you’re addressing me. Conservative white Southerners particularly in rural areas are the wellspring of the racism, ignorance, degradation of public institutions, violence and punishment of the poor that define this political era. If anyone deserves disenfranchisement, it is them. And yes, they are stupid.
More NCGOP mischief making. And putting this constitutional amendment vote on the primary day ballot –as opposed to Election Day 2016– deliberately seeks to suppress total electorate consideration of the pro’s and con’s of a TABOR. But, what the hell! Primary-day scheduling of an important referendum worked for them in advancing the now-found-unconstitutional marriage amendment in 2012, and, as we all know, they care more about ideology than what’s right or good for the state in the long term.
The regressive GOP wants to put state income tax and spending levels in handcuffs, leaving future legislatures with much less flexibility to make budget decisions based on the state’s economic needs. Even emergency needs!
There’s are reasons why rating agencies look askance at these actions, and are willing to lower a state’s bond rating (which would cost the state, and thus all of us, more money when it borrows) when such provisions are set in stone in a state’s constitution. They view these provisions as the result of ideology-based budget gimmickry and game-playing, as means only to limit a state’s financial options, and not in tune with solid financial planning and decision-making.
They view them as attempts to starve (prevent) government from undertaking needed programs and making long-term investments, which, by extension, could have adverse economic affects on a state well into the future. Here’s a case in point:
http://www.ktbs.com/…/la-avoids-credit-rating-drop.
In Colorado, it took two subsequent voter referendums to fix its TABOR’s ill-effects on state revenues and budgeting..
These proposed amendments are ill-advised and anti-government, but, then again, they are the aims of the most careless, short-sighted, miserly, and uncaring NCGA leadership the state has yet seen.
John, this is a serious question. How on earth are you comfortable sharing a party with these dirty redneck barbarians? Judging from your posts, I don’t sense you are stupid/hateful/sociopathic/rural/whatever else it takes to support the NCGOP. What gives?