Special Session Update: On the Seventh Week, the State Equalization Property Tax Automatically Returns

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I had to go out of town on business for a few days – I have work and family obligations, and a life – unlike some of the trolls who post comments here.

It's just another manic Monday as the GOP insane clown posse begins the seventh week of the Special Session still trying to find the elusive 16th vote for the "Sham-Wow!" budget deal that for the moment is dead. However, it may be revived from the dead like a zombie on a motion for reconsideration in the Senate. Even if the Senate somehow manages to find the elusive 16th vote, it is no certainty that the House would vote to approve the "Sham-Wow!" budget deal.

The GOP insane clown posse has all but given up finding the 16th vote from among its own GOP caucus. They are looking for a Democrat to go squishy soft and cut a side deal to give them the vote they need. Here is a helpful reminder to any Democrat who may be considering cutting a side deal: whatever the GOP insane clown posse promises you for your vote, the Accidental Governor will simply line-item veto out of the budget, leaving you with nothing to show but the shame of being the Benedict Arnold who gave these incompetent and insane Republicans the vote they needed to pass their irresponsible and reckless "Sham-Wow!" budget deal, which does not even achieve the goal of a balanced budget.

Any Democrat foolish enough to vote for this "Sham-Wow!" budget deal will not only be vilified on a daily basis here at Blog for Arizona, but I will support and encourage your district to recall you. Failing a recall effort, I will support and encourage a primary opponent, and I will recruit a campaign staff to work for your opponent. You will not be back in the next legislature, I can assure you.

The deadlock on the budget has resulted in the Legislature blowing yet another deadline, this one for the GOP's single-minded purpose to repeal the state equalization property tax. Both sides still won't budge on budget"[S]ince the Legislature adjourned until Monday at 1 p.m., it's impossible for the repeal to move through the legislative process in time."

With no budget deal by Monday's deadline, the supervisors have no choice but to set the tax rates.

The failure of lawmakers and the governor to reach an agreement on a state budget means that the state property tax, suspended in 2006, automatically returns this year. Budget impasse allows property tax to return | Arizona Politics "[F]or all intents and purposes, the time for lawmakers to act to repeal it has run out: State law requires county supervisors to set the tax rates Monday."

Senate President Bob Burns even is refusing to send the Senate-passed bills back to the House, virtually guaranteeing the measure won't get to Brewer before the supervisors in the 15 counties set the tax rate. And that presumes Brewer would even sign the measure in the first place, as the Republican-controlled Legislature has yet to give her what she wants.

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Jennifer Sweeney of the Arizona Association of Counties said time has run out with tax rates being set on Monday.

"The statute is pretty clear,'' she said. "There's not a lot of room for interpretation of that particular section.''

This would be true in a state where its leaders follow the rule of law and the Constitution, unfortunately, this is lawless Arizona. The GOP insane clown posse rules by fiat. Senate President Bob Burns and House Speaker Kirk Adams acknowledged that state law requires county supervisors to set the property tax rates on Monday. This includes the county "equalization tax," the state-mandated tax to help aid education. Lawmakers ask counties to delay tax bills But putting the law aside:

The two Republican leaders, in letters Friday to the chairmen of each of the boards, acknowledged that the failure of the Legislature to act on the budget – and, specifically, a proposal to repeal the equalization tax – means that the tax bills each county is preparing to send out have to include the levy.

But they are asking that printing be delayed as long as possible to give lawmakers another chance to reach a deal, one that they said would include eliminating the tax.

"We ask for your continued patience and understanding as we attempt to resolve this uncertainty within the next few days," they wrote.

Sen. Burns said on Friday he could offer no concrete evidence that a deal which has eluded lawmakers now for months is imminent. "We've got to have faith, I guess," he said. That's your plan, Bob?

There seems to be something of a consensus developing among the county assessors that they can delay mailing property tax assessments no later than August 31.

[But there is also] the clear possibility that, even if county officials wait until the last possible minute, a deal won't come until after the bills are printed – and maybe not until after they're mailed out.

So who pays to reprint or resend the bills?

"That's an unanswered question," Burns said.

The other options would be some sort of rebate or tax credit -for the property taxes you will pay.

The battle lines are drawn and no one appears ready, willing and able to move this "Sham-Wow!" budget through the Legislature. The House and Senate convene at 1:00 p.m. on Monday.

Senate Minority Leader Jorge Luis Garcia (D-Tucson), in a guest opinion today in the Arizona Daily Star, writes It's past time to ask Democrats for help (excerpt):

Both Burns and Brewer fail to grasp the fact that Democrats are not here to be disregarded for eight months while Republicans labor under the self-imposed restriction of creating a "majority budget" with only Republican votes, only to come to Democrats at the 11th hour to vote for a budget that we don't agree with and didn't have any input on, because including us would take too long.

Last week Burns announced his continued refusal to negotiate with Democratic leaders, preferring to try to buy individual Democratic votes with pet projects or other political trinkets. He already tried it once, and failed.

It was Republicans' choice to effectively reduce the size of the Legislature to 18 senators and 35 representatives by only including Republicans. When you do that, you make your job more difficult.

Democrats did not choose that path, and we will not encourage it by simply handing over votes for a budget that was formulated without bipartisan input.

Now there is precious little time to negotiate the best budget possible before Arizona really begins to fall apart. We should never have arrived at this place, but unless Brewer is prepared to abandon the prospects of raising additional revenue for Arizona, she will have to veto this budget, and Democrats will have to be asked for our input and ultimately, our support.

We are prepared to do our part to preserve Arizona, but we will not be bullied into supporting something that we don't believe in just because Republicans failed to get the job done on their own.

Their failings are not our responsibility, and we will not apologize for standing up on behalf of Arizona's children, teachers, working poor and vulnerable adults.

We understand that these are tough times, but we can develop a true bipartisan plan that has something for everyone. It just won't have everything for some.

President Burns, Gov. Brewer: Democrats are willing to help. But you have to be willing to put partisanship aside and negotiate in good faith.

I don't see this happening this week, but the closer we get to August 31, who knows?