House Passes Simple Majority for School Levies

The House debated and passed Engrossed House Joint Resolution 4204 today to send to the voters a Constitutional amendment eliminating the supermajority voter requirement for excess property levies for school districts. The vote was 79-19. Current law requires that such levies must be approved by more than 60% of the voter turnout must be equal or greater than 40% of the turnout in the last general election. This is the companion bill to the senate measure, Engrossed Substitute SJR 8207 that failed to pass the Senate earlier this session. The bill was amended on the House floor to clarify that that the voter-turnout requirement in the current law does not apply to maintenance and operations levies. EHJR 4204 now goes to the Senate for further consideration. If it passes both bodies it would go before the voters in November 2007 and need a simple majority of voters to be adopted.