On the final day to file federal income taxes, New Hampshire lawmakers aired a proposal to write an income tax ban into the state Constitution, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) authored the measure and made the case for sending the question to voters. The hearing drew about 100 residents who waited hours to testify, the outlet noted.
The timing was deliberate, with the hearing falling on the federal tax filing deadline as Republicans pressed their case for a permanent ban. As the New Hampshire Union Leader reported, a parade of GOP lawmakers lined up to make personal appeals for the amendment while opponents argued it was a political maneuver rather than a serious policy step.
As the New Hampshire Union Leader reported, Osborne described the proposal as a vehicle to give lawmakers a second vote on the issue.
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, said he authored what he called the “New Hampshire Advantage Act” to give House Democratic lawmakers a second vote on the issue.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Senate President Sharon Carson voiced firm support for the ban, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader, framing it in absolute terms.
“No income tax in New Hampshire. Not now, not ever,” she said.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Republicans argued that Democrats’ stated opposition to an income tax would be tested by how they voted on the amendment itself.
“House Democrats say they are against an income tax. My sense is they are going to vote against this. Actions speak more loudly than words,” said Rep. Ross Berry, R-Weare.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Osborne framed the vote as a question of confidence in the electorate rather than just a matter of policy.
“The question before us is not just a policy question, it is a question of trust. Do we trust the people of New Hampshire by putting this question on the ballot?” Osborne asked.
Jason Osborne
As the New Hampshire Union Leader reported, the Ways and Means Committee took testimony in Representatives Hall on Osborne’s provision, which he proposed to replace a constitutional amendment that the Senate had passed earlier banning the adoption of an income, sales or capital gains tax. The outlet noted that a crowd of about 100 residents waited more than two hours to testify on both sides, with House Speaker Sherman Packard acknowledging it would be difficult to reach the two-thirds vote needed at the November election to amend the Constitution.
The full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader details the testimony for and against the amendment, the prior House vote, and the hurdles it faces to reach the November ballot.
For Republicans, the day offered a high-profile platform to press a message they have made central to their identity in the state. The hearing, as the New Hampshire Union Leader reported, drew testimony from local officials and residents on both sides, with supporters casting the ban as a safeguard and opponents framing it as a distraction from affordability concerns.
Read the full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader.
