House Ready To Use GOP Conventions This Weekend To Push Senate To Pass Tax Plan

By Dick Pettys
InsiderAdvantage Georgia

(3/12/08) Republican House members will be sporting “Ax The Birthday Tax” stickers when they fan out across the state this weekend to their local county GOP conventions, and if you think that’s aimed at putting pressure on the state Senate to pass the Speaker’s tax reform plan, you’re right.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, perhaps echoing the governor’s fears of cutting taxes while the state’s economy is softening, sounded a bit hesitant about the measure on Tuesday after a modified version of it passed the House overwhelmingly.

He expressed himself this way in a statement shortly after the vote: “Now is the time for targeted tax relief that stimulates the economy and creates jobs. The House has started this debate, and the Senate will make time for meaningful and substantial deliberation on tax relief to benefit our economy during this economic downturn. Make no mistake, we have an equal constitutional role with the House on fiscal issues, and the upper chamber will play a significant role in considering, and hopefully passing, an economic stimulus package that meaningfully benefits every Georgia citizen.”

So on Wednesday at his previously-scheduled press briefing, House Majority Leader Jerry Keen - who was aware of Cagle’s statement - had it clearly on his mind.

He started by describing the House-passed measure as one “targeted at virtually every property owner and every person that owns a motor vehicle, so that’s a pretty big target and we hit it and now we’ll see what happens next. But this morning, the reaction I’m getting from around the state from various media sources and from our members who’ve come by is extremely positive. The citizens want this and hopefully the Senate will act quickly on this ...”

He said the timing of local county conventions couldn’t have been better. “I think it’s a great opportunity to let the Republican faithful at home know (the details of the House-passed legislation.)”

He didn’t say outright that the House will be looking to use the conventions to build pressure on the upper chamber, but he did say House members were being supplied with the "Ax The Birthday Tax" stickers to spread around the conventions. Then he said he didn't see how the Senate could turn the proposal down.

“I’m sure the Senate is going to support us in this. I can’t imagine - this is sort of a core principle to our party. To reduce or weaken in any way the economic stimulus and impact of this at a time when we need it would be hard to understand.”

When asked specifically about it Cagle's statement Tuesday night, Keen said: :

“I read that quote last night. It was interesting. ‘Targeted tax cuts.’ I’m not sure what that means. I said earlier our target was every property owner in Georgia and every citizen of Georgia that owns a motor vehicle. That’s a pretty good target right there. The first time I ever heard the term ‘targeted tax cuts’ was during the Clinton administration and it was sort of out of their playbook. I believe that what we need to do is give tax relief to the people that pay taxes ... The bill that passed the House yesterday targets virtually every property owner, both residential and commercial, and every person that owns a motor vehicle. That’s a pretty good target.”