Gov. Donald L. Carcieri last week said he wants to put two questions on the November ballot, as non-binding referendums, seeking voter approval for amendments to the Rhode Island Constitution to limit state and municipal spending growth and allow voter initiative.
The first measure, which Carcieri unveiled earlier this year with the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council and several business leaders, would impose restrictions on annual increases in state spending, while also limiting increases in local property taxes to less than the current 5.5-percent yearly cap.
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The referendum question would read: “Should the Rhode Island Constitution be amended to limit the growth of state spending and to limit annual increases in local property taxes?”
The second measure would allow citizens to directly change state laws and amend the constitution through direct voter initiative, as is done in California, Massachusetts and many other states.
That ballot question would read: “Should the voters have the right to vote to enact laws and to amend the Constitution directly through a process called direct voter initiative?”
Carcieri unveiled both proposals at a State House news conference on Wednesday.
“Enacting voter initiative and legislation to curb government spending and taxes are crucial to my continued efforts to enhance the quality of life for Rhode Islanders,” he said in a statement. “That’s why I intend to advocate for these measures by placing them on the November ballot. Let’s give the voters the opportunity to have their voices heard.”
The House Finance Committee recently approved a bill sponsored by House Majority Whip Peter F. Kilmartin, D-Pawtucket, that would strip the governor of the right to place non-binding referendums on the ballot. The full House has not yet considered the measure.
Carcieri said he’s proposing the spending cap measure because “Rhode Island still has a huge problem with taxing and spending,” to the point that the state has the sixth-highest total tax burden “of any state in the country.”
A recent U.S. Census Bureau report ranked Rhode Island 12th in the nation for its state tax burden. The higher ranking cited by the governor includes property taxes and is based on an analysis by the Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank.
According to the governor’s office, from 1996 to 2005, state general-revenue spending rose by an average of 7.1 percent annually, from $1.7 billion in fiscal 1996 to $2.9 billion in fiscal 2005. During that same time period, annual inflation was about 2.4 percent.
Regarding voter initiative, the governor said having the process in place would make state government “more responsive to the needs of our citizens,” and it would “give Rhode Islanders a greater voice in how government is operated.”
A news release from Carcieri’s office said no initiative would be permitted “that would abridge a person’s civil rights or liberties, including those guaranteed by the Rhode Island Constitution.”
