HB 3177: Raise billions in taxes with fewer votes

HB 3177 is up for a hearing today and allows fewer votes needed to raise billions in new taxes
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

It appears that HB 3177 could make it easier for politicians to raise billions in new taxes by bypassing the super-majority (3/5th) rule which protect taxpayers. HB 3177 would apply to eliminating tax expenditures which are tax cuts, tax breaks, tax credits and tax deductions. This means allowing politicians to pass billions in new taxes with less votes! Make no mistake, eliminating a tax cut is the same as raising taxes — just ask the taxpayer who has to pay the higher bill!

Voters enacted the 3/5th rule in 1996 with Ballot Measure 25 to limit politicians tax power to only when there is greater consensus and bipartisanship by requiring a 3/5th vote majority instead of the common 50%+1 majority.