The Florida House is wasting no time pursuing one of Governor Rick Scott’s session priorities. One committee will take up a tax and fee measure on the opening day.
Governor Rick Scott wants to force future lawmakers to cobble together a supermajority in the state legislature before approving tax and fee hikes. Scott announced the priority flanked by House Speaker Richard Corcoran last August.
“So what I want to get accomplished now is whether we do it through the Legislature or we do it through the Constitution Revision Commission, I would like something on the ballot that says it will take a supermajority of the Legislature to increase a fee or a tax,” Scott said at the time. “So we can continue this economy going, so as we grow this economy we can invest in what we care about.”
The House plan, which sets the supermajority at two thirds, will eventually need to gain approval from Florida voters at the ballot box.
With Scott and Corcoran widely rumored to be gearing up for 2018 election bids, the proposal is seen by some as an attempt to drive supporters to the polls.
