EPIC Option advocates lead a morning news conference regarding their proposal to eliminate all taxes besides consumption and excise taxes and put the decision to a vote of the people in 2024. State Sens. Steve Erdman of Bayard, center, and Steve Halloran of Hastings, left, have been leading advocates. State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil joins, at right. May 21, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — The longshot petition to let voters replace property, income and corporate taxes with a consumption tax fell short of a bulk signature-gathering hurdle that often stops ballot initiatives short that lack paid circulators.
That higher hurdle is securing signatures from 10% of the state’s registered voters to amend the state constitution , or about 123,000 signatures. EPIC Option Consumption Tax petition organizers said the group’s more than 250 volunteer signature gatherers ran out of time to finish the job. The group had until end-of-day Wednesday to collect and turn those signatures in.