If you want to raise your neighbors’ taxes, you should have broad support from your neighbors. That is the principle behind Amendment B.
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Utah voters still have the final say. Amendment B protects the initiative process. It protects Utahns’ ability to put measures on the ballot. It simply sets a 60% approval threshold for statewide initiatives that create or increase taxes before they can become law.
We believe that is a reasonable safeguard because tax decisions are family budget decisions.
Every dollar collected in taxes comes from someone’s paycheck, retirement income or business. It is money a family could otherwise use for groceries, a mortgage payment, childcare or savings, or that a small-business owner may need to make payroll.
That is especially important as Utah families face higher costs for housing, groceries and other necessities. For young families buying their first home, parents saving for the future and retirees managing fixed incomes, every dollar matters.
When a statewide initiative asks Utahns to pay more, it should have broad support from the people who will pay the bill.
Some have portrayed Amendment B as taking power away from voters. But the decision remains exactly where it belongs: with Utah voters.
Amendment B does not prohibit Utahns from approving a tax increase. If proponents believe a new or increased tax is necessary, they can make that case directly to voters. If 60% agree that the benefits justify the additional cost, the measure passes.
The choice remains with the people.
Before a statewide initiative can require taxpayers to pay more, it should have support beyond the narrowest majority. That means listening to Utahns across communities, regions and political viewpoints. It means answering important questions about how much a proposal will cost, why the money is needed and whether the benefits justify the additional cost to Utah families.
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Those are conversations worth having before taxes go up.
A statewide tax increase affects household budgets, housing costs, employers and Utah’s broader economy. Decisions with that kind of reach deserve careful consideration and broad public support.
Some have questioned why tax-related citizen initiatives should meet a higher threshold. For us, the answer comes down to accountability.
When elected officials consider tax policy, proposals move through a public process where they can be debated, scrutinized and amended. When we vote, our names are attached to that decision. We answer directly to our constituents, and voters can hold us accountable at the next election.
The initiative process works differently. Voters receive a proposal and are asked to accept or reject it. The people who draft, promote and vote for an initiative do not face voters afterward in the same way elected officials do.
That distinction does not diminish the importance of the initiative process. Citizen initiatives are an important constitutional right, and Amendment B preserves that right.
The question is how much agreement should be required before your neighbors can vote to raise your taxes. We believe decisions that reach into family budgets across Utah should reflect more than the narrowest possible majority.
Voting for Amendment B preserves the initiative process, adds a safeguard for Utah taxpayers, and leaves the decision in the hands of voters.
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