by Skylar Tallal
Fri, September 4, 2026 at 9:43 AM
DES MOINES, Iowa — Along with several competitive races this November, Iowans will also vote on a proposed amendment to the state constitution. It would require a two-thirds majority in both the Iowa House and Senate to increase state individual or corporate income tax rates, instead of a simple majority. Simply put, it will make it harder for future state lawmakers to increase state and corporate income taxes by requiring them to get more ‘yes’ votes in order to pass a tax increase than currently required.
Iowans for Tax Relief supports the amendment. The president Chris Hagenow argued it would give taxpayers greater protection from future tax increases.
“Its a protection for taxpayers,” Hagenow said. “When something is in the constitution the legislature can’t go around that they have to honor that.”
But Dr. Linda Serra Hagedorn, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Iowa, said voters should reject it. She argued the two-thirds requirement could allow a minority of lawmakers to block a future tax increase and said the current process does not need to change.
“There is no need to put this rigidity into our constitution,” Dr. Hagedorn said. “The constitution is designed for, to preserve our rights and our privileges. It’s not for fiscal policy. Thats not where it belongs.”
An Iowa poll conducted by Suffolk University Political Research Center asked participants how they were planning to vote on the constitutional amendment. Iowa voters were largely split on the issue. Roughly 36% said they were voting no, 32% said yes and 30% were undecided.
Cutting taxes has been a major priority for Iowa Republicans. In 2024, lawmakers approved a 3.8% flat state income tax rate along with lower corporate income taxes.
Hagedorn worries that requiring a supermajority to raise those taxes could make it more difficult for future lawmakers to respond if the state needs additional revenue.
“The future legislatures their hands are tied behind their backs,” Dr. Hagedorn said. “They can’t respond to the needs of the state. So we’re making decisions today that are going to effect future generations of Iowans for many many years to come.”
Hagenow disagrees and said lawmakers also control how much the state spends. He said the amendment would not prevent a future tax increase but would require broader support to pass one.
“All this does, this doesn’t prevent a tax increase it just says they gotta find some greater consensus,” Hagenow said. “So it does give, it makes it harder but it doesn’t make it impossible and so that’s an important point. I think, you know, maybe in some sense requiring agreement across the partisan divide. If its that important to raise taxes then it should require greater consensus.”
Voters will have the final say on the proposed amendment this November. Constitutional amendments are typically towards the end of the ballot and could be on the back depending on how many races there are in your area. A ‘yes’ vote will indicate your support for making it harder to raise state and corporate income taxes. While a ‘no’ vote will keep the current process intact.