Proposed constitutional amendment would require supermajority for tax…

Legislation was advancing at the State Capitol Tuesday proposing a constitutional amendment to make future tax increases more difficult.

Senate Study Bill 3142 would begin the process of amending the state constitution to impose restrictions on future tax changes implemented by the Iowa Legislature. The measure would prohibit graduated tax rates based on income, requiring Iowa to keep its single-rate individual income tax. It would also require that increases to individual or corporate income tax rates — as well as other taxes “based upon income or legal and special reserves” — receive two-thirds majority support from both chambers. Establishing a new tax would also require two-thirds support.

During a Senate subcommittee meeting Tuesday, Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, jokingly debated whether the measure should be called the “bipartisan citizen wealth confiscation amendment” or “citizen wealth confiscation prevention…