Lesley Stedman Weidenbener has an article entitled Respect marks General Assembly which notes how much more smoothly the 2007 session went than expected. You had a 51-49 Democratic majority in the House, a new president in the Republican dominated Senate, and a Governor known for shooting off his mouth about Democrats (“car bombers” anyone?)
Instead, the session was marked by the Governor keeping quiet, at least in public, giving up a couple of things — privatization of the lottery and a couple of toll roads; compromising on some others — only half a loaf on full-day kindergarten because of resistance in the Senate. But, generally they got their work done without a lot of theatrics. The result wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t horrible either.
Sorry, property tax “relief” was a joke, along with Bauer’s inability to get a budget out of his own chamber without bribing Craig Fry in the early versions.
One section of HB 1478 (section 24) contains what might be the most important property tax change since Doc Bowen enacted the freeze in 1973.
That section allows a unit of government to raise property taxes above the maximum allowed by law if “it cannot carry out its governmental functions” with the levy growth limits.
Surprised this has not been reported on yet, but the Bowen Property Tax Freeze, age 34, is now officially dead.