Special Session Breaking Update: Sales tax referral defeated, Senate advancing rest of “Sham-Wow!” budget to the House

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Senate defeated a bill Wednesday that would have put Gov. Jan Brewer's proposed sales tax hike on the ballot for voters to decide. Arizona Senate defeats bill with sales tax hike The GOP can't find more than 15 votes even with a special dispensation from their lord and master of the underworld of corrupt K Street lobbyists, Grover Norquist.

The 14-11 vote was two votes short of what’s needed for passage, and an effort to resurrect the proposed sales tax failed on a 15-10 vote.

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Senate President Bob Burns, a Republican from Peoria who voted for the sales tax proposal, said the defeat of the measure will slow down the passage of the larger budget package, which includes a repeal of a state property tax that has been suspended for three years but is set to restart with fall tax bills.

If lawmakers don’t pass the repeal by the end of the week, counties will be required to levy the state property tax, said State Treasurer Dean Martin.

The Arizona Guardian (subscription required) reports that the Senate is passing the other bills included in the "Sham-Wow!" budget deal along party lines. I do not know whether this still includes the four amendments insisted upon by Sen. Jack Harper (one of which screws Tucson out of its Rio Nuevo funding). The Senate will send the "Sham-Wow!" budget package when finished over to the House, where, as reported previously, passage is not certain. A change of just two votes could defeat any one of the budget bills. It may be a long night.

It appears that the GOP insane clown posse intends to test the Accidental Governor's mettle once again. She has stated that she will veto any budget package that does not include her sales tax increase. The GOP insane clown posse intends to send her the budget package without her sales tax increase.

This is a game of brinkmanship. Will the Accidental Governor stay true to her word and veto the "Sham-Wow!" budget deal or will she finally blink and cave under pressure from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce to repeal the state equalization property tax by Monday? Stay tuned, events are unfolding.

BTW, the Legislature amended the language of the sales tax increase measure to a special election on December 8. I assume they have also amended the language of the suspension of the Voter Protection Act and the TABOR-Lite measures to be referred to the ballot to December 8 as well.