Despite a partial repeal of a Taxpayers' Bill of Rights in Colorado last month, Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are still in favor of instituting similar legislation for the state.
TABOR, a constitutional amendment requiring the state to get the public's permission by vote or referendum to increase taxes, is expected to be proposed early next year. It is designed to prevent state spending from growing by more than the specific formula proposed by drafters.
State Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Green Bay, a strong proponent of Wisconsin's TABOR amendment, said the legislation's purpose 'is to give people the right to have a referendum to decide on if the government can exceed the spending limit.'
Despite TABOR's longevity in Colorado'running on its 12th year'it has not been universally accepted. The public recently voted to repeal parts of TABOR, agreeing to give up more of their tax dollars. Bob Delaporte, spokesperson for state Rep. John Gard, R-Peshtigo, called the situation in Colorado a 'victory for TABOR,' saying, 'What happened out in Colorado is exactly the kind of situation we wish would happen here in Wisconsin; where the taxpayers get more of a say in how their money is spent.'
Many Wisconsin Democrats, however, say a different lesson can be taken from Colorado. State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said, 'Colorado was the poster child for TABOR proponents, and the folks in Colorado, which is a red state, have rejected TABOR. You would think advocates here in Wisconsin would get the message.'
State Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, said she thinks Republicans will use TABOR in future campaigns to accuse Democrats of not wanting to lower taxes. Berceau said the Republicans will not succeed because many local government officials are against TABOR.
Berceau expressed confidence in Colorado's partial TABOR repeal, saying, 'I think Colorado helps us a lot and will help us during the campaigns, and will help the governor in that sense to say that 'It's a harebrained idea and look what happened in Colorado, and the Republicans are proposing something that won't work and will damage our state,'' she said.
UW-Madison professor of public affairs and applied economics Andrew Reschovsky said the problem with TABOR is that costs of public services tend to grow faster than the inflation rate.
Reschovsky said what TABOR could mean for the UW System. 'What's the biggest item in the budget that's easier to cut that is not constrained by constitutional mandates? That's probably the university,' he said.
He also said the government would not be able to provide full funding for higher education and tuition would have to increase, or the quality of education and the number of students able to get public higher education would decrease.
