Illegitimate Grandson of TABOR Introduced at Bar Time

The Assembly Republicans wrote their newest version (#42?) of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights at around bartime tonite (this morning?). The bill restricts only state spending, but passes the buck on to local taxpayer's to pick up the tab on all sorts of local services. Result: Increased local property taxes.

Further, it has holes in it that a truck could run through. The creation of new segregated funds are allowed, essentially sidestepping the spending "controls" created by the bill. Also, the legislature can include or not-include all sorts of funds to determine their spending level limits.

Ironically, the proposal works to stop transfers from segregated funds to the general fund. Yet the same Republican majority that wrote this voted to shift about $600 million from segregated funds to the general fund in the last budget, according to Fiscal Bureau Chief Bob Lang. Do what I say, not what I do?

Bottom line: Writing a brand new constitutional amendment at bartime and voting on it in the middle of the night, without a public hearing or public notice, serves the public poorly. I'll let you know how the vote turns out.

(This is written while on the Assembly floor debating the bill)



UPDATE: At 4:37 am, the Assembly voted 50-48 for the bartime TABOR amendment.