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Do you ever wonder about the representation we as citizens are receiving from our elected officials?

 Rep. David Stevens is sponsoring a ballot referendum that aims to dramatically curtail the ability of any governmental entity from securing a vote of the public to raise taxes at the ballot box. 

His bill, HCR 2043 (tax increases; ballots; vote requirement), would require any ballot measure that called for a tax increase to be approved by a two-thirds majority rather than the simple majority presently mandated by law.

In addition, it would apply retroactively to any measure passed after the 2002 general election. This means that any tax increases that were passed with a smaller than two-thirds majority would have to be reconsidered during the next general election. If it didn’t get two-thirds approval at the second election, the already approved tax would be repealed. The language would apply to the state and its various subdivisions: counties, cities, towns, community college districts, school districts and special taxing districts.

Stevens said the impetus for the measure was some elections he has seen in Sierra Vista where voter turnout was low and tax increases passed by a very narrow margin.

 When hasn’t a simple majority vote of the people been sufficient to direct America’s national or local business or governance? Why is it sufficient to have a simple majority in order to elect a representative to government, but insufficient for a local government to secure special taxing to carry out programs that a majority (even a simple majority) of the people want?

Wouldn’t it be interesting to know why Rep. Stevens and Rep. Griffin feel the need to restrict the ability of the local electorate to determine the civic affairs in their own cities, towns, counties, colleges and schools?

Here is another bill that simply makes you wonder what legislators are thinking: HB 2654 Schools; Prohibited Courses; Repeals statute, prohibiting school districts or charter schools from offering classes that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity.

To think there are elected officials in the Arizona State Legislature who would put their names on record in support of a bill advocating the “overthrow of the U.S. government” or to “promote resentment toward a race or class of people” is so far beyond my understanding that it is no wonder I fail to see the value or need for Rep. Stevens and Griffin to legislate what constitutes a majority vote on local funding initiatives.