Two-thirds to Tax

Yesterday the Senate Finance Committee approved Sen. Dan Patrick’s (R-Houston) SJR 12 which proposes a constitutional amendment that would require any new tax legislation or increases in tax rates to be approved by a two-thirds majority of the legislature. Ironically, now Patrick has to get two-thirds of the senators to agree to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.

There have been three such resolutions filed in the House by Reps Callegari (R-Katy), Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) and Hughes (R-Mineola). None of the House resoltuions, all assigned to the House Ways and Means committee, have yet been scheduled for a committee hearing.