House rejects 2/3 vote mandate on tax hikes

BOISE (AP) — A constitutional amendment requiring future fee or tax hikes win two-thirds support of the Idaho House and Senate has been swept into history's dustbin.

The House's 37-33 vote on Thursday failed to meet the two-thirds threshold necessary to put the measure on the November 2012 ballot, so Idaho voters won't have a chance to weigh in.

Rep. Dennis Lake of Blackfoot told colleagues he was all for requiring significant support for tax or fee hikes.

He agreed such decisions shouldn't be taken lightly.

But Lake argued the measure would require a supermajority of both the House and Senate just to repeal existing tax breaks and exemptions.

That's something many lawmakers, from both chambers and both parties, covet as an eventual solution to making Idaho's tax system flatter and fairer.