Opinion: Important things to know about Prop 4

By State Rep. Terry Wilson (District 20)

In the light of the upcoming constitutional amendments election, our office has received a few questions from people wanting to understand more about Proposition 4. There has been a lot of information, misinformation and questions floating around about what Prop 4 accomplishes and how it would be implemented. I’d like to share our answers with you to help give a clearer picture of the reasoning behind the amendment, and help you to make a more informed decision at the ballot box

Q: Does this actually ban a State Income Tax? Isn’t it already banned?

A: Currently the legislature can propose an income tax if the revenue goes to property tax relief and/or education funding. An income tax proposal would then also have to go to a statewide referendum. The change under Prop 4 fully prohibits any income tax. Any exceptions to that ban would take another amendment to the constitution, requiring a 2/3 vote from both houses and majority approval from voters, instead of the current requirement of only 1/2 of each house and majority approval from voters. . . .

Find more insight on Prop 4 from Wilson on page 4 in The Tuesday, Nov. 5 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the Highland Lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email lew@highlandernews.com. To subscribe to the newspaper, call 830-693-4367 or click here to subscribe to our e-Edition online.