NASHVILLE — A Shelby County lawmaker accused some fellow Republicans of backing a state income tax today after a House subcommittee voted to put his proposed constitutional amendment banning such a tax “behind the budget.”
“I think a number of the members in that committee in either party like to say they're against an income tax but, in fact, they’re in favor of an income tax,” said Rep. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown.
Putting a bill — or, in this case, a resolution — that requires spending money “behind the budget” means the panel will revisit the measure only if any funds are left after the state’s spending plan is set. That may be tantamount to a death sentence for the legislation in light of the state’s projected $1 billion-plus revenue shortfall.
Rep. Kelsey sought to eliminate the costs of a constitutional requirement that public notice be given of any amendment prior to a vote by posting the information online. But members of the House Budget Subcommittee weren’t having any of it, saying that many voters in their districts do not have computers.
So the panel attached a $20,000 cost, saying it had to be published in newspapers. Former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, a one-time income tax proponent, then made the motion to put House Joint Resolution 3 behind the budget.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
So Jimmy Naifeh tacks on a fee and then put its "behind the budget" to snuff out a proposed public notifification requirement for lack of funding? There is still a serious credibility issues with his failure to promote open government discussions and forums, and let the legislative process work. It is hard to get beyond his parliamentary trickery. He is the master! Another common sense proposal killed in committee, that will never reach our elected officials.
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