The drive of special interests to raise taxes is relentless, and democratic guardrails can be an important taxpayer defense. That’s the logic behind an Arizona effort to lift the threshold for raising taxes by ballot measure. Passing it would help keep the state off the well-trod road to fiscal serfdom.
The proposal will appear as a ballot measure in November, giving voters a chance to set a higher bar for lifting tax rates. If passed it would amend the state constitution to require a 60% majority to raise taxes through any future referendum. Current law requires a two-thirds majority to raise taxes through legislation but only a simple majority to do so by plebiscite.
