Is a supermajority requirement to raise taxes a threat to democracy?

No, it isn’t. It should be difficult to increase taxes. A higher threshold would simply force legislators to justify the need and build a coalition of support.

The amendment requiring two-thirds of the state legislature to vote yes on any tax increase is extremely popular across the political spectrum. The ITR Foundation Poll shows 67.8% would vote for the amendment, 17.6% would not, and 14.6% undecided.

The overwhelming support crosses party lines, with a 53% majority of Democrats and over 70% of Republicans and Independents.

Several states, in both conservative red and progressive blue states, have a similar requirement. But a liberal activist was quoted in an article claiming Iowa’s supermajority requirement is an attack on democracy.

Nonsense. Did they get a memo from the Biden campaign?

On Friday’s ITR Live podcast, ITR President Chris Hagenow said:

“On the issues of the day, the practical kitchen table issues, the things that people are actually talking about, they’re losing all of them. So, they’re leaning into the threat to democracy garbage.”

Iowa’s constitution doesn’t require two-thirds approval often, but when it does, those in the minority might have increased power. In this case, the amendment would give the minority power to stop tax increases.

An additional amendment on the same resolution, SJR2003, would constitutionally protect Iowa’s single, uniform individual income tax rate commonly called the “flat tax.” This would prevent a future legislature from returning to an aggressive scheme of higher progressive tax rates.  

A Senate subcommittee and committee have passed the resolution, and will be eligible for floor debate in about a week.