The government has a responsibilty to protect our money
The government should not be wasting taxpayer dollars through irresponsible budget planning, costly and election policies, and unnecessary tax burdens.
As Republicans, we recognize that businesses and entrepreneurs are the source of economic expansion, not government. But the government can do one very important thing to help stimulate the economy: stop making it harder for businessmen and women to do their jobs, and start making it easier for them to grow.
- Lifting the burden of unnecessary taxes - The economy is in a serious slump and we as lawmakers need to do all we can to foster job growth and stimulate economic development, we can start by eliminating onerous taxes.
- Rollback the Business Personal Property Tax - Long considered a damper on job growth and economic development this tax--on everything from oil-drilling rigs to desks and chairs--needs to be gradually phased out. (Senate Bill 85 and House Bill 1068 by Sen. Mark Scheffel and Reps. Kent Lambert and Kevin Priola--SB 85 has gained approval by several Senate Committees and is making its way to the Senate Floor. HB 1068 was postponed indefinitely in the House Committee on Finance.)
- Budget responsibility - We have a duty to spend taxpayer dollars with diligence and save every dime that flows into state coffers.
- Create a structure for a rainy-day fund - Everyone is tightening their belts and the government should be no exception. We have to save now to avert another budget deficit in the future. (Bill sponsors: Rep. Cory Gardner)
- Taxpayer transparency act - Taxpayer have the right to know how their money is being spent by the government. This bill would provide budget information on the web. (Bill sponsors: Sen. Mike Kopp and Rep. Don Marostica)
- School district taxpayer transparency act - School districts have a similar responsibility to taxpayers. This bill would require districts to post budgets on the web. (Senate Bill 57 by Sen. Ted Harvey and Rep. Amy Stephens--amended in the Senate Committee on Education)
- Reforming our elections process to save taxpayer funds - This election year was a costly one, and not just to out-of-state special interests.
- Eliminate requirement to hold primary elections in uncontested races - State law currently stipulates that primary elections must still be held even in races where candidates run unopposed. This bill would eliminate that provision saving funds used to pay clerks and election officials. (House Bill 1015 by Rep. Carole Murray--assigned to the House Committee on State, Veterans, and Military Affairs)
- Prohibit use of ballot initiatives for the purpose of extortion - This year big labor put four measures on the ballot in an attempt to extort campaign funds from the business community--and it worked, with taxpayers left footing the bill for the election process. (House Bill 1069 by Sen. Mike Kopp and Rep. Amy Stephens--postponed indefinitely in the House Committee on State, Veterans, and Military Affairs)
- Require any withdrawn ballot measure to be stricken from the ballot before taxpayers incur costs- The current deadline to remove an initiative from the ballot is the first week of October, by that time many ballots and election information are printed at the cost of taxpayers. This bill would move the withdrawal date up so wasteful printing would occur in the future. (House Bill 1158 by Rep. Mark Waller--assigned to the House Committee on State, Veterans, and Military Affairs)