The influential, deep-pocketed Republican organization New Majority has engaged in the budget debate, sending a letter to Republican leaders Bob Dutton and Connie Conway declaring that the only way Republican legislators should vote to put taxes on the ballot is if meaningful reforms are put on the ballot as well.
The letter specified meaningful reforms as a spending cap that limits the growth of government and uses excess revenue to pay down debt, as well as pension reform modeled after the Little Hoover Commission’s recommendations.
Significantly, the letter rebuked groups that endorsed placing the tax extensions on the ballot with a promise that reforms will follow. The letter, signed by the chairmen of the four New Majority chapters, stated, “…our experience has shown little follow-through on behalf of the Legislature to address meaningful reform.”
The letter made it clear that New Majority members opposed taxes unless reforms were placed on the same ballot as the tax extensions.
Should the tax extensions make the ballot without reforms the New Majority could be a source of revenue to fight the tax extensions. Up until now, major political money seemed lined up behind the Yes side of the tax extension issue.
You can read the New Majority letter here.