2015 ballot measure results usher in tax cuts and, sometimes, marijuana
Last Friday I ran down. On Election Day, voters in Washington, Texas, Ohio, and Colorado spoke: They like tax cuts but still have questions about legal marijuana.
Washington: Make future tax hikes (nearly) impossible or cut taxes now
That's slightly hyperbolic but the best way to think of the聽聽backed by Washington voters聽. The Washington legislature now has until April 15, 2016 to pass a state constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds supermajority in the legislature or direct voter approval for all future tax increases. That's a daunting legislative task in a state where Republicans and Democrats each control one house of the legislature.
If the legislature fails to pass the supermajority amendment by April, the state's sales tax rate drops from 6.5 percent to 5.5 percent, at the cost of roughly聽. That's a tough fiscal pill to swallow for a state already facing contempt orders from the聽聽for failing to adequately fund schools.
Opponents have already taken the聽. Expect more legal challenges.
In another anti-tax move,聽聽disapproved of a recent gas tax hike. The law won't change because it was an advisory vote, but Washington became聽the third state in the last year (joining Massachusetts and Michigan) to reject a gas tax increase at the polls. Note to states: If you want to hike gas taxes聽.
Texas: Sure, cut property taxes
In news that will shock no one, nearly聽聽a ballot measure that increases the state's聽聽from $15,000 to $25,000. This effectively聽聽by $1.24 billion every two years.
Ohio: No legal marijuana 鈥� for now
Surprisingly, Ohio voters rejected a ballot measure () to legalize marijuana by nearly a聽. A majority of Ohioans supported legal pot in an聽. However,聽voters may have agreed with the cause but not the method. Issue 3 would have legalized marijuana but also given exclusive selling rights to 10 facilities. In fact, another measure () was put on the ballot to nullify monopoly-creating ballot measures鈥攕pecifically, Issue 3鈥攁nd聽.
Some Issue 2 supporters may have only wanted to prevent Ohio from legalizing marijuana. But many聽聽and Issue 3. Already, a new group called聽聽is working to get an initiative (sans monopoly) on the 2016 ballot. So legal marijuana in Ohio might only be a year away.
Colorado: We like our legal and taxed marijuana just fine, thank you
In contrast,聽聽their tax system for legal pot, again. Colorado supported a marijuana ballot measure in 2013 that legalized and taxed marijuana. However, the state's Taxpayer Bill of Rights refunds new tax revenue if the state incorrectly estimates how much new revenue and total state revenue would occur after a tax is created (). On Tuesday, voters turned down the rebate and let the state use the聽聽as initially intended鈥攆or the general fund and school construction.
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