Republicans have been trying to bring forward a method to curb escalating tax levies in Wisconsin for 2 years. The latest attempt is to put forth a constitutional amendment giving us a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) like Colorado that limits tax increases without a vote of the people.
Majority Leader, Senator Mary Panzer (R) blocked the TABOR bill form a vote during this session and then refused to call a special session to consider the measure, angering other legislators. Conservative State Representative Glenn Grothman filed against her for her seat last week. She is furious at the opposition, and a battle royal has broken out. Panzer is threatening to scuttle the Bush-Cheney cmapaign in Wisconsin while she fights for her seat. She is also one of the state chairs of BC. I'm told that a Panzer has held a position in state government in Wisconsin ever since the Civil War.
Wisonsin was recently rated #51 among all the states and DC as being the worst possible place to retire because of our out of control taxes. They have increased 25% in the last 2 years. It's not such a great place to do business either with excessive regulations.
The public seems to be very much in favor of a TABOR type amendment, and Senator Bob Welch is using this forced vote to give him a leg up on his opponents for the US Senate. Republicans in Wisconsin are divided as to whom they are backing for US Senate to run against Sen. Russ Feingold of McCain-Feingold fame.
Welch, who lost the US Senate seat to Senator Herb Kohl a few years ago, is running behind 2 other Republican candidates in the upcoming Primary, but this TABOR battle will give him a lot of favorable publicity. The next 6 weeks promise to be bloody.
It's not such a great place to do business either...
Yeah, did you also see this thread from yesterday? Seems like it's Peg L.'s (DUI-Wisconsin) version of the tobacco suit.
In Mary's defense...it's easy to slither when you don't have a spine.
Panzy will scuttle it yet, even if she has to be the 17th vote against.