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(Des Moines, IA) -- A proposed Iowa constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority to raise income tax rates is moving forward in the Iowa Senate. Senate Study Bill 1221 is the same as House Joint Resolution 2006 from last session. In order to pass a constitutional amendment in Iowa, the same language must pass two General Assemblies, which turn over every two years. Jake Highfill is with Iowans for Tax Relief.
"This is not like California, where they have ballot initiatives all the time," Highfill says. "It is very, very difficult to pass a constitutional amendment in Iowa...something like this will outlive all of us."
Some opponents to the proposal argue it would add an unnecessary hurdle in the future if taxes need to be raised. That includes Tom Chapman, who spoke for the Iowa Catholic Conference.
"Locking a two-thirds requirement into the constitution would allow a relatively small minority to stop what might be needed legislation," Chapman says.
He also stated that certain high-profile bills passed recently, like restrictions on abortion, passed with less than a two-thirds majority. Some supporters, like Tyler Raygor with the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, say the proposal would force lawmakers in the future to work together.
"It's not a lot to ask for two-thirds to increase taxes and take more money from the pockets of Iowans," Raygor says. "In emergencies, legislators can work together if it ever was necessary to raise taxes."
Senate Study Bill 1221 now heads to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. If the resolution passes the legislature, it will be on the ballot during the 2026 election.