OHIO LEGISLATURE Sferra: To raise taxes, get a bigger majority

Sferra said his proposal would force the GOP to work with Democrats.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- State tax increases would need the support of two-thirds of both houses of the Legislature, under a measure introduced in the Ohio House.
Right now, a simple majority is all that's needed.
The measure's sponsor, state Rep. Dan Sferra of Warren, D-64th, said Thursday raising the threshold to 66 yes votes in the 99-member House and 22 in the 33-member Senate to pass state tax increases would force majority Republicans to work with Democrats.
"It would make people think twice about raising taxes," said Sferra, a former Warren mayor. "The minority party gets no say-so."
The GOP outnumbers Democrats 62 to 37 in the House and 21 to 12 in the Senate.
The two-year, $48.8 billion state budget that took effect July 1 was approved in the House 53-46 on April 9 with only five Democrats joining 48 Republicans in favor.
Fourteen Republicans in the House joined the other 32 Democrats in opposition. The Senate approved the state budget 24-9 on June 5 with eight Democrats joining 16 Republicans in support.
Six Republicans joined 3 Democrats in opposition in the Senate.
The two-year spending plan temporarily raises the state sales tax by 1 percent which is projected to generate $1.3 billion a year in new revenues.
Sferra said he didn't believe Democrats had much to say about the state budget.
"There was very little input, but I think when it comes to raising people's taxes, we should have a super majority," Sferra said.
With Republicans in control of the Legislature, Sferra's proposed measure is not expected to advance.
"I realize that, but I wanted to introduce it anyway," Sferra said.
GOP House leaders couldn't immediately be reached to comment Thursday. Sferra's measure is a House joint resolution. His office said the measure would have to follow the route of a proposed constitutional amendment.
If three-fifths of the members of each House agree on a proposed constitutional amendment, it is submitted to voters and, if approved, becomes part of the Ohio Constitution.