Almost 30 members of the Wisconsin state Legislature have recently signed a pledge for no new taxes in the state budget, even though some lawmakers say such pledges are the reason the budget process is stalled.
Americans for Tax Reform, a lobbyist group, released a statement that numerous Wisconsin legislators have signed, the Taxpayer Protection Pledge,"" which said that signers will ""oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.""
State Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Green Bay, said he has signed the pledge for years and he will vote against proposals by Assembly Republican leadership if a budget contains any new taxes.
""I've voted against other Republican budgets in the past,"" Lasee said.
The proposed $1.25 cigarette tax is one tax that Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, has previously offered to the Democrats in control of the state Senate. Lasee said he would not support the tax unless other taxes were lowered along with it.
Huebsch said in a statement today that Senate Democrats have rejected the cigarette tax as ""not enough."" State Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, has previously stated that Republicans have agreed to the tax.
The tax issue is directly related to the size and scope of government, according to Lasee. The three percent annual growth in Wisconsin state revenue is all that is needed to maintain government spending, Lasee said.
""I think our government in Wisconsin is big enough, expensive enough,"" Lasee said.
State Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, said he signed the pledge because he campaigned on the issue of no new taxes last fall. Ott said he does not support the cigarette tax, but that it would not matter if he did because it will not be the only new tax proposed.
The no new tax pledges and similar statements limit lawmakers' ability to compromise, according to state Rep. Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin Rapids. Marlin said the no-tax mentality led the Assembly version of the budget to cut funding for public schools, Wisconsin Public Radio, the UW-Madison law school and other programs.
""Their budget is so incredibly irresponsible it almost boggles the mind,"" Schneider said.
Schneider said the Assembly Republican leadership will only break with some members' pledges of no new taxes if they realize the budget stalemate ""is hurting real people.
