Is TABOR Lite Dead?

House Joint Resolution 23, often called TABOR Lite by members of the Democratic Caucus, had a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee last week. A surprise move since it is rumored that the chairman of the Committee is opposed to the legislation.

The House approved the measure by only one vote, and several moderate members have said that they were able to support the Budget Chairman’s legislation only because they knew that is was dead in the Senate.

Well, the Senate Committee meeting was certainly a downer. Chairman Vogel was the only member of the committee present during the proceedings – sitting alone for nearly an hour waiting for the sponsor of the bill, Representative Allen Icet, to appear.

When it became overly clear that the sponsor would be a no-show, the Chairman dropped the gavel and called the meeting adjourned. Rumor is that the main supporter of the bill, former Representative Carl Bearden, received an ear full from the Chairman and his Chief of Staff following the meeting.

Evidently, Icet and Bearden had misrepresented (read lied) some deals made with leadership in the Senate around the legislation. Lobbyists in the Capitol say that at best HJR 23 is on life support and at worst, this was the last nail in its coffin.