Taxes tileNASHVILLE – Tennesseans are getting ready to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would bar lawmakers from ever imposing a state income tax.
Early voting for the Nov. 4 election starts Wednesday, but no matter what voters decide, it’s unlikely that Tennessee lawmakers would seriously consider an income tax because it’s become such a toxic political issue.
“I’m not certain there’s a huge impact because I don’t think there’s going to be an income tax in Tennessee regardless of whether the amendment passes or not,” Republican Gov. Bill Haslam recently told reporters. He said he would vote for the amendment.
The last serious attempt to impose a state income tax failed in 2002 amid raucous Capitol protests that included a brick being thrown through the window of the governor’s office and demonstrators banging on the doors of the Senate chamber while lawmakers sought to conduct their business within.
The Legislature instead passed a 1 percentage point increase to the state’s sales tax rate to generate $933 million in new revenue, which was the last time the state passed a general tax increase.