Texas voters are slowly turning Texas blue with the influx of new Texas residents and a determined effort by Democrats.
While the state is still mostly Republican it's probably a good time to make it harder for lawmakers to install a state income tax.
Next month Texas voters will have the opportunity to vote on amendments to the Texas constitution, and the Houston Chronicle helpfully summarizes them in Voter guide: 10 Texas constitutional amendments on Nov. 5 ballots.
Here's what they say about Proposition 4:
What it says: “The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual’s share of partnership and unincorporated association income.”
What it means: Texas has long maintained its anti-income tax position. Current law says that an income tax can be proposed but must be voted on before going into effect. In the past, voters have blocked such attempts at the ballot box.
Proposition 4 would change the state’s constitution and impose an explicit ban on an income tax. If legislators want to remove that ban at any point in the future, they would need another constitutional amendment to do it.
Supporters say this is a symbolic gesture demonstrating Texans’ commitment to a low-tax economy. Opponents say the anti-tax bar is already high, and raising it even higher cuts off a stream of revenue that the state could someday need.
The state of Texas has a high sales tax (around 8%). And that's something many of us don't particularly like. But bringing it down would be a herculean task. And if lawmakers ever did try to implement an income tax, it would be in addition to the sales tax, not as a replacement.
It's not to early to stop any state income tax in its tracks.
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2:36 PM 10/14/2019
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