Gov. Chris Gregoire and her fellow Democrats running the state Legislature defused a political land mine Thursday then thoughtfully dug up the ground for Republicans to plant more later.
The special session called by Gregoire restored what the high court took away — the 1 percent limit on annual property tax collections by local governments put in place by voters when they passed Initiative 747.
Had that been the only action Thursday, by next year voters would have forgotten all the fuss by Republicans and heckling by initiative author Tim Eyman surrounding the session.
But it wasn’t, and property taxes could very well end up in the spotlight in the 2008 elections.
What happened is Democratic leaders convinced Gregoire to support them Thursday as they pushed through a second bill dealing with deferral of property taxes. It had no relationship with the cap, the initiative or the court decision.
In committee hearings and debates in both legislative chambers, opponents repeatedly asked why the rush to install this new program. They said Democrats should allow it to be vetted better and discussed longer in the regular session starting in January.
Push back came from all Republican and some Democrat lawmakers plus a few of those who will be responsible for making the new program work.
After signing the bill into law, Gregoire said she agreed to bring it forward as part of the “give and take” with Democratic lawmakers in the run-up to the special session.
She may regret her giving ways.
Once Democrats put the deferral bill in play, they all but ensured taxes will be a big deal among lawmakers next session with the emotion carrying into the campaigns next fall.
Surprisingly, the party seems to be inviting the conversation.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown described Thursday as only the beginning of a deep discussion on the subject. Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, who runs the budget-writing committee, said she will arrive on the first day with a slew of tax reform ideas.
Democrats’ willingness to talk taxes will provide Republicans with many opportunities in which to paint their differences with the majority party.
Republicans’ mouths are watering.
Already there are some suggesting rebates and others want elimination of “banked capacity” — the unused tax-raising power accumulated among local governments statewide.
Maybe there’ll be talk about a measure modeled after Proposition 13 in California aimed at capping individual homeowner property taxes.
Nothing could seem sweeter for GOP leaders. Losing in the legislative arena won’t matter and may even help them excite and organize their base, which brings a degree of unpredictability into the picture for fall 2008 not evident a month ago.
Taxes will be uttered, debated and voted on often in the 60-day session, setting the stage for explosive debates one wouldn’t have expected in an election year.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield’s column on politics runs every Sunday. He can be heard at 8 a.m. Monday on “The Morning Show” on KSER (90.7 FM). He can be reached at 360-352-8623 or jcornfieldheraldnet.com.
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