NEWS
TABOR undergoes ‘streamline’ changes
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Also by Kira Sparks:
- Job Creations Act II arrives in Capitol (April 7, 2005)
- 'Wisconsin Works' gets mixed marks (April 11, 2005)
- Representative introduces TABOR (April 18, 2005)
- Budget sparks debate (March 29, 2005)
- Doyle proposes veteran funding (March 14, 2005)
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- Representative introduces TABOR (April 18, 2005)
- Colorado vote not a worry to TABOR author (November 3, 2005)
- Wisconsin TABOR possibly over horizon (April 15, 2004)
- TABOR amendment receives revision (April 26, 2004)
- Legislators revisit TABOR law (February 10, 2006)
by Kira Sparks
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
The controversial Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, better known as TABOR, has undergone revisions again.
State Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue, the creator of TABOR, has changed his bill several times in order to gain more support from the legislature.
The most recent round of changes is not nearly as broad as those of the past. According to Lance Burri, spokesman for Lasee, the revisions were made chiefly to streamline TABOR.
“He was working for the last four to six years trying to improve it and trying to make it better and to produce something most people can accept,” Burri said. “One of the criticisms last session was that it was too long and too big, so he started looking for ways to streamline it. There are fewer specific requirements. There are more that will be left up to a future legislature to decide.”
Last session’s draft contained provisions about how to hold referendums. Lasee removed those stipulations, as the legislature is required to plan the referendum, and planning cannot be done in a constitutional amendment.
TABOR, a proposal to write government spending limits into the state constitution, would cap increases in taxes and government spending at the current levels. The caps would be indexed to inflation and population growth. Under TABOR, any increase in spending or taxes would have to be approved by a public referendum.
TABOR has received much criticism over the past year, and Lasee has made multiple revisions in response. In April, he made several changes, which included allowing governments the choice to adopt the previous year’s spending limit. This would prevent one year’s revenue problems from affecting budgets in the following years. Lasee also created a fund that would allow governments to put excess revenue into a fund for use in case of shortfalls.
Many people in the legislature are against TABOR in any form it may take. Some Democrats feel it would reduce and cut many state programs in the coming years.
“Democrats have serious concerns about the ability of municipalities, counties, universities and state government to function under TABOR,” said Senate Minority Leader Judith Robson, D-Beloit. “TABOR really means [taking] a break from responsibility. Legislators would be abdicating fiscal responsibility by putting a one-size-fits all tax policy in the constitution.”
Burri, however, says TABOR will allow spending to grow every year and that it would not take away from the decision-making process.
“We are going to always have to make decisions about what we spend that money on,” Burri said. “This isn’t going to change that. This will limit our overall spending.”
Majority Leader Dale Schultz has given Sen. Glenn Grothman, who defeated former Majority Leader Sen. Mary Panzer in September behind a strongly pro-TABOR message, the duty of crafting a TABOR bill to present to the state Senate.
“Whenever his committee feels it is appropriate to be brought to the floor for a possible vote, it will be,” said Todd Allbaugh, communications director for Sen. Schultz.
Grothman and his committee will start meeting in January.
Anonymous (December 14, 2004 @ 10:20am):
I wrote this to Mr. Burri last week. no reply as of yet.
Lance,
Take a look at today's (12/10) Wheeler. The Oshkosh Northwestern has a great editorial titled "State assembly Reps miss big chance for small government". Speaker Gard authorized an increase from 37 to 40 committees. That is an 8.1% increase in legislative government. Its out of control, and they need to place limits on themselves to protect the hard working, common sense people of this State.
Perhaps someone in Madison will introduce a "Citizens Bill of Rights" (CIBOR) to protect us from this uncontrollable excess in government. Time for them to sit around the kitchen table, tighten their belts and make the tough decision to control this legislative excess before we are all forced to move to Mississippi.
Posted Dec. 10, 2004
Editorial: State assembly Reps miss big chance for small government
Wisconsin Republicans lost an opportunity to be bold and creative when they increased rather than decreased the number of committees in the Assembly, which their party controls.
There was a proposal a few weeks ago to cut the number of committees down from 37 to 23. This is entirely practical considering the state Senate gets the business of the state done with 16 committees.
Here was a public relations victory that would have been tremendous. Republicans could have touted that Wisconsin had less government. Taxpayers would have had something in it for them, too: about a $2.58 million cost savings for the 2005-07 budget bill that will be debated early next year.
Instead, Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, authorized an increase to 40 committees. That’s right, an increase.
What likely doomed this idea from the start was that it originated with Assembly Democrats. A few conclusions should be drawn from this outcome.
First, that Republicans are closed to a great idea that lines up with their traditional party values even when a Democrat proposes it. This represents inflexibility.
Second, that Republicans in Wisconsin reflect the shift of the Republican National Convention in moving away from calls for smaller government. While this proves the local party to be responsive to the national level, knowing that government could have saved $2.6 million and didn’t shows the state GOP is out of touch with taxpayers’ interests.
Third, all of this sets a bad tone for the 2005-07 Legislature. At a time when people want to believe their government stands for tax fairness, efficiency and responsible spending, the growth of the number of Assembly committees rather than a freeze or reduction sends a message of indifference.
Republicans lost ground with their decision on this one. What remains to be seen is whether those Wisconsin residents who favor the best possible outcome in government get a voice in the 2005-07 Legislature.
Right now, the lowest common denominator still looks like the goal.
The Final Thought: Assembly Republicans excel in their poor performance on common-sense ideas that generate tax savings.
Regards,
Mike
Michael J. Serpe
Administrative Assistant/Lobbyist
Kenosha County Executive's Office
1010 56th Street
Kenosha, WI 53140
Telephone 262-653-2831
Facsimilie 262-653-2817
Email mserpe@execpc.com
"Politics is an act of faith; you have to show some kind of confidence in the intellectual and moral capacity of the public."
George McGovern
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