Senate Republicans are asking what Democrat Gov. Bill Ritter thinks of legislative efforts to turn his temporary tax hikes into permanent ones.
“The Governor’s proposal to implement these tax increases temporarily was a bad idea,” said Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs. “Now, the Democrats in the General Assembly want to crush taxpayers even harder by making all of these tax hikes permanent.” 
Sen. Cadman
When Ritter introduced his budget balancing proposal in November it included over a dozen tax increases on everything from candy and soda to farmers and Internet sales. About half were temporary and would last only 2 to 3 years. Since being introduced as bills in the legislature, Democrats are on the path towards making all of these tax hikes everlasting.
During committee, bipartisan amendments were added restoring some of the tax increases to temporary status, but Democrats have indicated those amendments will ultimately be stripped out of the bills. Some Democrats initially willing to vote in favor of keeping the tax increases temporary reluctantly changed their minds on the floor today, leaving Republicans wondering if those members had been pressured to change their vote by Democrat leadership.
Republicans believe that Democrats are using the current budget crisis as an excuse to permanently raise taxes on Colorado families and businesses. “If the tax increases are only meant to help the state fill the budget gap, as Democrats claim, then why aren’t we making them all temporary?” asked Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield.
Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said that if Democrats are unwilling to vote no on the damaging tax hikes the least they can do is follow the lead of their Governor and make them temporary.