Statement on Passage of Supermajority to Raise Taxes Amendment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shannon Shutts – (603) 271-3664
March 30, 2011                                                                                              


CONCORD – House Speaker William O'Brien (R-Mont Vernon) today released the following statement regarding the passage of CACR 6, a constitutional amendment that would require that any tax increase or bonding would need to receive a vote of 3/5ths of both the House and Senate.  After passing the House 256 to 117, the legislation now travels to the Senate, then, if it passed there, will appear on the November 2012 ballot.

“Last November, the voters sent a crystal clear message that they were exhausted by the over 100 tax and fee increases from the past four years.  Not only is this House committed to passing a budget that doesn’t increase taxes or fees, but by passing this constitutional amendment, we are working to give the citizens of New Hampshire the opportunity to ensure that we keep limited government in place by making it more difficult to raise taxes in the future.”

“This amendment would tie the hands of the big spenders and make it even harder to pass a sales or income tax or to raise business taxes, which are already the highest in the nation. This represents the type of transformational change that the public demands and that the House is absolutely committed to delivering.”