Wisconsin Republican legislators proposed to amend the state Constitution Thursday in an effort to limit government spending.

Initially, Republicans' previous attempts to create a Taxpayer Bill of Rights were focused on imposing spending limits, but the newly proposed "Taxpayer Protection Amendment" would instead limit revenue.

According to key amendment proponents, a revenue restraint is a more flexible way to produce the same effect of cutting taxes.

"The Taxpayer Protection Amendment is a blueprint for government restraint in the state of Wisconsin," said Rep. Jeff Wood, R-Chippewa Falls, a cosponsor of the constitutional amendment. "We are asking our colleagues to put the Taxpayer Protection Amendment on the ballot and let the people decide."

Unlike the first TABOR, the proposed measure seeks to amend the Constitution — an objective that can be put into effect without the governor's approval.

While Gov. Jim Doyle has opposed TABOR in the past, the Republican-driven amendment would bypass the governor and must instead be passed by two consecutive Legislatures and approved in a public referendum.

Democratic opponents cite such a permanent constitutional amendment as an irresponsible measure that endangers important social programs — like education — by taking away local control and discretion.

United Council of University of Wisconsin Students Legislative Affairs Director Brian Tanner said the amendment would prove especially detrimental to the UW System.

According to Tanner, the UW System will be the first to face budget cuts when revenue is capped and would cause tuition costs to skyrocket.

"This would really kill higher education in Wisconsin," he said. "This would completely erode everything we've been working so hard for over the past few years."

Tanner said though the buzzword-packed amendments sounds appealing to citizens, it is not the proper solution to cutting high taxes.

"Everyone realizes taxes are a major issue here in Wisconsin, but amending the state Constitution and stripping the Legislature of its power to manage the budget is not the solution," he added.

However, according to Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Green Bay, a constitutional amendment is, in fact, the correct solution, as it puts the power in the people's hands.

"The Taxpayer Protection Amendment is about a very important question," Lasse, author of the original TABOR, said. "That is, should the people who pay the bills … be able to say yes or no to spending the taxes above a growth limit?"

The proposed amendment would allow revenue limits to be exceeded through public referendums.

Additionally, the amendment would create a state reserve fund in which any extra revenue must be deposited.

But in a statement, Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, said the new proposal, despite its modifications, will prove disastrous.

"Any version of TABOR, whether it's super TABOR or TABOR lite or diet TABOR, all have the same thing in common — they all allow politicians to duck away from tough votes," he said.

Republican lawmakers are optimistic about the amendment's chances in a statewide referendum, which they hope will take place as early as April 2007.