2014 House Joint Resolution UU

Place sales tax increase 7 percent on ballot

Introduced in the House

Dec. 18, 2014

Introduced by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R-90)

To place before voters in a May 5, 2015 election a constitutional amendment that would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. The proposal would also prohibit using money earmarked to the state School Aid Fund to support state universities, and earmark a specified portion of the state Use Tax to this fund. If voters do not approve the ballot measure then a large fuel tax increase (House Bill 5477) and several related measures would not go into effect. The complete package represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to road projects.

Dec. 19, 2014

Passed in the House 94 to 16 (details)

Received in the Senate

Dec. 19, 2014

Referred to the Committee of the Whole

Failed in the Senate 25 to 13 (details)

To place before voters in a May 5, 2015 election a constitutional amendment that would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. The measure eventually attained the two-thirds majority required to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot when majority Republicans agreed to pass several unrelated Democratic votes.

Motion to reconsider by Sen. Arlan Meekhof (R-30)

The vote by which the joint resolution was not adopted.

The motion passed by voice vote

Received

Passed in the Senate 26 to 12 (details)

To place before voters in a May 5, 2015 election a constitutional amendment that would increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. The proposal would also prohibit using money earmarked to the state School Aid Fund to support state universities, and earmark a specified portion of the state Use Tax to this fund. If voters do not approve the ballot measure then a large fuel tax increase (House Bill 5477) and several related measures would not go into effect. The complete package represents a net tax increase of $1.945 billion, of which $1.2 billion would go to road projects.