Let's gid rid of advisory votes

For the last decade, each time the legislature raises a tax, current law requires that the ballot in the next election include a question about the tax, called an advisory vote. These questions must be the first thing on the ballot and must ask whether the tax should be maintained or repealed. This is deliberately misleading because the “vote” has absolutely no impact.

But the questions themselves at the top of the ballot have a significant impact. These highly complicated questions with no supporting information available about the reason for the tax increase frustrate voters to the point of scaring some off who then do not even look at the rest of the ballot. The questions, in addition to the significant number of pages of the voters pamphlet required by the same law to detail how each legislator voted on each increase, adds significantly to the cost of running an election. Senate Bill 5182 must be voted on in the Senate by Tuesday, March 9. We are asking you to reach out to your representatives in the House as well, because we've heard that there is concern in the Senate about passing this bill if there isn't significant support for it in the House.