Earlier this month, Maine lawmakers rejected along partisan lines a resolution that would have amended the state’s constitution to require supermajority approval for any tax hikes.
Rumford Republican Rep. Rachael Henderson’s LD 1553 would mandate that at least two-thirds of both the House and Senate voted in favor of any measure that increase taxes on the Maine people.
Barring that, taxes could also be increased by Mainers themselves through the state’s direct initiative process, the amendment provided.
Because this resolution sought to amend the state’s constitution, it would have largely guaranteed that its terms would remain effective for the foreseeable future. On the other hand, this means that the threshold was also much higher for LD 1553’s initial passage.
In order to amend the Maine Constitution, a proposal must in itself be approved by at least two-thirds of lawmakers and be ratified by a majority of voters at the ballot box.
[RELATED: Bill Requiring Supermajority Approval for Any Tax Hikes on Mainers Set for Public Hearing on Monday]
A public hearing for this resolution was held in late April, at which time Rep. Henderson argued that the “change is vital to ensuring fiscal stability, protecting taxpayers, and maintaining Maine’s economic competitiveness.”
“Implementing a supermajority requirement in our state constitution would serve as a safeguard against hasty or politicized tax hikes that could burden Maine families, blue collar workers, business owners, and businesses,” she said. “It would ensure that any decision to increase taxes reflects a broader consensus, balancing diverse interests and fostering long-term fiscal responsibility.”
According to Henderson’s testimony, seventeen states already have a supermajority requirement in place for measures that increase taxes on their residents.
A representative of Maine’s Department of Financial and Administrative Services (DFAS) offered testimony in opposition to this proposal, arguing that it would “restrict the Legislature’s ability to respond quickly and flexibly to revenue shortfalls, potentially jeopardizing the State’s ability to meet debt obligations.”
DFAS also suggests that implementing this threshold could “hamper the ability of the Legislature to enact important priorities and address the needs of Maine citizens.”
Following this hearing, the Committee on State and Local Government was divided over whether or not to advance the resolution, with a slim Democratic majority recommending its rejection. All Republican Committee members voted in support of its passage.
Not long after the Committee reported out its recommendations, the House and the Senate rejected the resolution along partisan lines.
The only Democrat in either chamber to vote in support of the LD 1553 was Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec).
Following these votes, LD 1553 was placed in the legislative files as dead. Because it failed to gain the necessary two-thirds support in the Legislature, Mainers will not have the opportunity to directly express approval or disapproval of this proposal at the ballot box this year.
