HCSHB186--INFORMATIONPROVIDEDTOVOTERS
SPONSOR: Murphy
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonGovernmentEfficiencyandDownsizingbyavoteof9to
4.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
186.
Thisbillprohibitsapoliticalsubdivisionorelectionauthority
fromdescribinganyproposedtaxonpropertyinapolitical
subdivisionasnotincreasingtaxes,oranylanguagetothat
effect,unlessboth:
(1)Failingtoadopttheproposedmeasurewouldcauseanactual
increaseinthetaxrate;and
(2)Adoptingthemeasurewouldcausethetaxratetostaythesame
ordecrease.
Thebillrequirespoliticalsubdivisionsandspecialdistrictsto
labelballotmeasuresnumericallyintheorderinwhichtheyare
submitted.
ThisbillrequirestheSecretaryofStatetodevelopfactsheets
concerninginitiativeandreferendumpetitionswhichhavebeen
approvedforcirculation. Within30daysofthepetition'spublic
commentperiod,theSecretaryofStateshallproduceafactsheet
includingadescriptionofthemeasureandasummaryofstatements
bothforandagainsttheproposalacquiredduringthecomment
period.Eachpetitioncirculatorshallprovidecopiesoforread
aloudtheSecretaryofState'sfactsheettoeveryvoterrequesting
tosignapetition. Petitionsignersshallberequiredtodate
theirsignatures.Ifapetitioncirculatorfailstoprovidea
signerwiththefactsheetorreaditaloudbeforecollectinga
signature,allsignaturescollectedbythatpetitioncirculatoron
thatdateshallbeinvalidated.
Thisbillrequiresthatifthevotersinapoliticalsubdivision
approveanincreasetothetaxrateceilingpriortotheexpiration
ofapreviouslyapprovedtemporarylevyincrease,thenewtaxrate
ceilingshallremainineffectonlyuntilsuchtimeasthe
temporarylevyincreaseexpiresunderthetermsoriginallyapproved
byavoteofthepeople,atwhichtimethetaxrateceilingshall
bedecreasedbytheamountofthetemporarylevyincreaseunless
votersofthepoliticalsubdivisionareaskedtoapprovean
additionalpermanentincreaseandsuchincreaseisapproved Thisbillspecifiesthatanyballotmeasureseekingapprovalto
add,change,ormodifyataxonrealpropertyshallexpressthe
effectoftheproposedchangewithintheballotlanguageinterms
ofthechangeinrealdollarsowedper$100,000ofaproperty's
marketvaluation.
Thebillrequiresballotlanguagedescribinganymeasurethatwould
extendthedurationofanexpiringtaxtoincludeastatementto
thefollowingeffect:"Ifthismeasureisadopted,thecurrenttax
ratewillremainineffect.Ifthismeasureisrejected,thetax
willautomaticallydecreaseaccordingtotheprovisionsofexisting
law."
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatitistheresponsibility ofthe
governmenttoensurethatvotersareasinformedaspossible. The
changesinitiatedbythisbillaimtoinformvotersandallayany
concernsthatvotersarebeingtrickedintoapprovingballot
measureswithoutfullyunderstandingthemeasures.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwasRepresentative Murphy.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnoinpersonoppositionvoicedtothe
committee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.