DES MOINES, Iowa — After a proposed constitutional amendment passed through the Iowa Legislature in the 90th General Assembly last year, there is only one vote left for lawmakers until Iowans will get the final say.

Senate Joint Resolution 11 would require a two thirds majority vote to increase individual or corporate income tax rates in the future. Right now, increases to income taxes only require a simple majority, more than 50% of the vote.

For an amendment to be added to the state’s constitution, it must be passed in two consecutive general assemblies; and then Iowa voters get the chance to approve or vote down the change at the ballot box. The Iowa Senate Republican majority advanced the proposal once again after passing it last year. If it passes the Iowa House in either 2025 or 2026, the constitutional amendment will be on the ballot for Iowa voters in the 2026 elections.

Senate Republicans said that the last nine years of work the caucus has done to lower income tax rates in the state need to be protected, which is why they are moving forward with this increased threshold.

Senate Democrats argued that this will inevitably lead to higher taxes in other categories.

“That’s where politicians will have to go in the future if they fall short to balance their budgets. Higher property taxes, higher sales taxes, new fees and fines that will all fall on the backs of working Iowans,” said Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner (D), District 45 from Iowa City.

“This particular proposal is nuclear. It’s nuclear to the state into the future,” said State Senator Tony Bisignano (D), District 15 from Des Moines. “And what you’ve done through your architecture is set this state up for probably one of the largest sales tax increases we will ever see.”

Several Senate Republican members of the Iowa Senate spoke on the joint resolution, replying to remarks that their caucus loves sales tax and sales tax increases. One lawmaker argued that this is an issue both parties will never see eye to eye on.

“Do you know that the loss of revenue that you’re saying that we have coming in is going into the hands of your constituents and staying in the billfold of your constituents? And you are defining that as a loss of revenue to the state of Iowa,” said State Senator Tim Kraayenbrink (R), District 4 from Fort Dodge, while holding his own billfold in the air.

The policy is now sent over to the Iowa House, where there is no rush to get this voted through as the House Republican majority has the next couple of weeks and all of next session to send the amendment to the ballot box.

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