House Republicans hoped to flex their muscles as an opposition party when they tried to rally votes against Mike Beebe’s tobacco tax plan, but they found that their pull can only go so far in a state run by Democrats.
After days of tough talk labeling the Democratic governor as a tax-and-spender pushing a Washington-style bill, House GOP leaders suffered a narrow defeat when Beebe’s tax hike gained the 75 votes it needed to pass the House.
But they didn’t go down without a fight.
The House Republicans who opposed Beebe’s plan struck a more combative tone than the Legislature has shown since Beebe took office in 2007 – a tenure that so far had been marked by the governor getting nearly everything he wanted out of his legislative agenda.
“Raising taxes while we have a $300 million surplus is the wrong thing to do,” House Republican leader Bryan King said in the days leading up to the vote. “This tax-and-spend governor needs to understand that we don’t need to raise taxes.”
With Beebe proposing an $87.8 million hike in cigarette and other tobacco taxes to pay for a statewide trauma system and a host of other health programs, Republicans saw a chance to reclaim an anti-tax position. They also saw an opportunity to score their first legislative victory since Mike Huckabee left the governor’s office.
I would hardly look at this like a loss for the Republicans. I’ll give you some reasons why:
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We had 22 Republicans vote against the tax. Have we ever had 22 Republicans vote against anything? Especially a tax? Remember that 28 is the second highest # of Republicans we have ever had (2003 session had 30 I believe). This is a plus and Minority Leader King deserves kudos.
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Of the six Republicans who voted against the tax, 4 are terming out after this session. The other two deserve strong primary challengers and if Summers gets one, he’s gone. So we could essentially wipe out the 5/6 who voted against this thing if we get solid replacements in 2010. Go over to The Tolbert Report and watch Roy Ragland talk about why he voted for this thing. He is so squeamish its funny. Hey Roy, it’s not that we don’t want a Trauma System, we just want to pay for it with the $300 million in SURPLUS not by taxing low income people. Don’t be surprised to see that video clip again should Roy run for Lt. Gov.
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I’ve said it before but I was and still am opposed to this tax, BUT it is a godsend to the RPA. Go to Southern Arkansas, find a solid opponent for Garry Smith, run the YouTube special from the Tolbert Report and beat the crap out of this guy for lying to the Voters. Garry signed a NO TAX PLEDGE and then HE BROKE IT. I can think of about 15 other districts where this would play well. Remember to use the buzz words: Barack Hussein Obama and Tobacco Taxes.
One last thing…
Senate Republicans say they don’t expect the same rough-and-tumble tone when they consider Beebe’s tax proposal.
“I think there’s going to be a difference in how this is approached,” said Senate Republican Leader Kim Hendren of Gravette. “There were some comments made (in the House) that I would not have made.”
Thats because he is voting for the tax.
