« Event: Crucial Committee Meeting on SB66 Tomorrow | Main | UTOPIA - The Answer To Outsourcing? »
Has Moderation Broken Out In The House?
by The Wise One
Two stories in Tuesday’s Deseret News suggest that an attack of moderation has broken out in the House of Representatives. The first one states that “It appears five committees were canceled because their chairs were angry over moderate Republicans combining with House Democrats…” over HB271, the tuition tax credit bill. Poor Rep. Holdaway, R-Taylorsville was one of the moderate Republicans, and he reported that “he is being attacked from his party’s right wing”. Evidently Speaker Marty Stephens has his hands full trying to quell the rebellion.
The second story dealt with the quiet passage of HB230 by a single vote. This is the one that freezes the state’s basic property tax rate, which is essentially the same thing as a tax increase, since property values are going nowhere but up. I’d say a whole bunch of hard-core “no tax increase this year” Republicans had to come down with a mighty big case of moderation to agree to this. I wonder what the distinction is, in their minds at least, between them and tax-and-spend Democrats? I liked what Rep. Noel said: “This will be a tax increase. Put a dress on it - it’s still a tax increase.”
Only time will tell if this outbreak can jump across the hall to the Senate.
Posted by windley on February 25, 2004 08:25 AM
Comments
This was actually written on Monday. On Tuesday, they came (partially) to their senses and recalled HB230 (this time by six votes). Quack quack. According to the Trib, when asked why they had passed it to begin with, Rep. Peterson (R) said "We all have our bad days." Said Rep. Styler (R), "That truckload of hay is gone."
Posted by: The Wise One at February 25, 2004 09:48 AM