Thanks to the Gibbons Tax Restraint Initiative of 1994-96, it requires a 2/3 majority vote in both houses of the Nevada Legislature to approve a tax hike directly. Republicans hold a majority of the seats in the state Senate and 15 seats in the state Assembly. If…and that’s a big *if*…but if Republicans all stuck together and voted against any and all tax hikes this session, no tax hike bills would hit the governor’s desk.
Alas, only four Republican state senators have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge promising to vote against any and all tax increases (Beers, Cegavske, Hardy, Washington), and six Assembly Republicans continue to refuse to sign the pledge (Gansert, Goicoechea, Hardy, Grady, Stewart and Allen).
Why is the Taxpayer Protection Pledge so important? I’ll let Grover Norquist, author of the Pledge and president of Americans for Tax Reform, explain it in his own words…
“First, stopping tax increases allows Nevadans to keep more of the money they earn. Second, only when tax increases are off the table will the politicians in Carson City be forced to actually govern.
“Tax increases are what politicians do when governing is too much work. Governing means making decisions. Deciding that some government programs are no longer worth it. That some programs are better than others. That some government programs that once made sense are now destructive of their original aims.
“Tax increases allow politicians to avoid the tough questions and the tough actions. The Taxpayer Protection Pledge is good for taxpayers. And it is necessary for the politicians to force them to focus on governing.”
Unfortunately in Nevada - thanks to some misguided Republican legislators on the tax issue, as well as a number of pledge signers who have either already broken their promise (Sens. Washington and Hardy; Asm. Marvel) or have indicated they might go back on their word before this session is over (Asm. Mabey) - the best hope for Nevada taxpayers to avoid seeing more of their money going to government lies in the veto pen of Gov. Jim Gibbons.
Gov. Gibbons has promised to veto any tax hikes, but if there are enough Republicans willing to vote for a tax hike to start with, there are possibly enough Republicans willing to vote to override a gubernatorial veto.
This is in direct contrast to the situation next door in “liberal” California where EVERY state senate Republican and all but one Republican in the state Assembly has signed he pledge. Because of this, the contrast between Democrats and Republicans is vivid and easy to see. “All the no-new-tax pledges are by Republicans,” notes the Orange County Register. “All the proposed new taxes are by Democrats.”
This unity by Republicans on the tax issue sends two important messages to California voters writes conservative political blogger Jon Fleischman: “There will be no tax increases this legislative session; end of story. And this is entirely due to the unanimous opposition to tax increases by Republicans.”
That’s the kind of contrast Republicans in Nevada need if they’re to gain seats in the Legislature in 2008. Alas, unless they get their acts together…and FAST…that opportunity will be lost. Again.
Posted on April 29th, 2007 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
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