State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Voters to Weigh Tax Caps, Increases

Stateline: Capping or outlawing state income taxes by referendum is either wise or foolish, depending on whom you ask. Voters in Tennessee and Georgia will decide for themselves on Tuesday when they consider two of the most interesting fiscal measures topping state ballots this election year.

Of the 146 referendums that are on state ballots this midterm election year, 21 involve tax or budget decisions, according to Ballotpedia, a nonpartisan tracker of ballot issues. Overall, there has been a downward trend in the number of referendums over the past few election cycles, as several states have made it more difficult to get an issue on the ballot. There were 184 in 2010, the last midterm election. There were 40 fiscal measures on the ballot in 2010.

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