The House of Representatives rushed through its tax swap bill last week. The bill will abolish income taxes while raising a multitude of sales taxes. The House approved the bill the day after it was introduced and approved in committee. However, a sage Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann said slow down, we are going to check this out before we even consider a vote. Luke Ramseth reported in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal:
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Monday suggested a sweeping income tax elimination bill authored by House leaders faces long odds in the Senate, though he also refused to rule out the possibility that a heavily modified version could win approval.
Hosemann held up a dog-eared copy of the 317-page bill during an online forum hosted by Mississippi State University’s Stennis Institute, saying he was still wading through the bill’s language himself after it cleared the House on an 85-34 vote last week.
He outlined several “unintended consequences” buried in the bill, which he said could impact farmers, teachers, electric utilities and nonprofits. He stressed the need for more experts to evaluate the proposal’s potential impact on Mississippi’s economy before it moves forward.
“This allegedly is about a $2.6 billion change to the budget, when you include all the (tax) phase-outs that have been proposed by the House,” Hosemann said, adding that “deep scrutiny” of the bill’s language is needed, and there may not be enough time left to do so this session. Rest of article.
One State Senator told JJ that there were concerns the bill would jeapordize tax incentives for economic development projects that have already been approved. Apparently some of the incentives depend on the income taxes paid by the workers hired. If the income taxes can't be calculated, then the formulas to determine compliance are voided.
Kingfish note: How many other unintended consequences are in this bill? A massive bill such as this one should have been discussed and studied before ever being presented. Remember when the Republicans screamed bloody murder after Obamacare was rushed through Congress? They, including Mississippi Republicans, made great hay out of Pelosi's comment that Congress had to pass it before it could find out what was in it. There is another statement that applies as well: absolute power corrupts absolutely. But hey, let's pass a nearly $3 billion tax bill in less than two days with nary a word said. What could possibly go wrong?
25 comments:
“ Remember when the Republicans screamed bloody murder after Obamacare was rushed through Congress?”
Are you just now realizing that they criticize the opposing party and not themselves?
When should we expect Phillip to convene a press conference and hold up a stack of dog-eared senate bills that have come over for house action and say, "I don't think we will have time to review all of these."
What do you think?
They have to do this very quickly because as was pointed out in the previous thread, this tax overhaul is for the benefit of the people who commute in and out of the metro by private jet every day. This is not for the people who commute by car from Jackson to Rankin/Madison.
And anyone who sits in traffic in the morning or evening around Hwy 80/Airport Rd and Lakeland Dr. will see the two dozen or so private jets that take off and land during the “rush hours” on the ground.
This is either the end of Gunn, or the start of his run for governor. No way this passes.
The nature, timing, and way this was passed doesn't pass the smell test. I am a Rankin County Republican but I am not at all happy about the way this was rushed through last minute without a good sound review. It makes me think it's not as "good" as portrayed. I am ashamed at my representative for being culpable in this. Fred Shanks, I'm looking at you!
@ Kingfish
"What do you think?
When do they ever make any good fiscal decisions on the hill, that benefit the whole state and not a select few?
11:46 agreed!!
12:04 I work at the Capitol and have no idea what the hell you are talking bout??!
Anyone who has ever spent five minutes watching the legislative process knows that this bill won't become law this year, and Gunn knew that from the start. However, a commission will be named to come up with a plan, and that plan will pass next year. Gunn, as usual, is ahead of the curve. The rest of them will catch up to him over the summer.
This was first proposed in 1998 by the MS Republican Elected Officials Association. That proposal was to phase out the income tax over ten years and also eliminate all sales tax exemptions, etc. If the phaseout can be done (and it definitely can), the Senate and straggling GOP House members will have to pass something in 2022 or be primaried on this issue in 2023. Not to mention Delbert, who will open himself up for one if he is seen as the roadblock to this. He already burned the state flag supporters and killed a bill to curb voter fraud.
There is no way Gunn wasn’t paid something for this. Don’t bother Shad, you’ll never find it...
I've got a little advice for all these pols. Watch yourselves dummies. As in this article nobody is mentioning the 400lb gorilla in the room....seniors/retirees but they can believe this....we're watching.
Maybe someone should take over the state legislature?
@11:46
I have got a feeling Mr. Gunn has gotten enough of an ear full about this turd he's not going to pick this hill to die on.
Bad bill, bad optics but I still don't trust Hosemann and know, without a doubt, that he is a squishy conservative, i.e. RINO.
@1:06- So what? You aren’t important enough to meet the people with the private jets?
Forget about the tax bill...I want to know more about these private jet riding millionaires who fly into Jackson everyday in their multi-million dollar jets!
I imagine this is a typical day for these folks:
Wake up
Walk out on balcony to overlook 500 acre homestead
Put on $9,000 Kiton Suit
Helicopter to nearby private airstrip
Board Bombardier Global 7500
Fly to JAN
Rent Altima from Avis
Drive through McDonald's for Egg McMuffin on way to Capitol
Spend the day bribing everyone to eliminate the state income tax
Drive back to Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport
Drop off car
Board jet
Light cigars with $100 bills for the flight back to Mansion
Jackson is such a millionaire's playground!
"A massive bill such as this one should have been discussed and studied before ever being presented."
Gee, remember when legislation like this would be introduced in committee and committee members would fight it out? Remember when actual Committee Chairs were in the news expressing their views of proposed legislation? Do you even know the names of any Committee Chairs now? It's all Gunn, Delbert and Reeves - no one else matters. You look at the deadlines for committee action and you know NOTHING will happen until 24 hours before the deadline, when everyone will vote how leadership wants, no questions asked. This is a sad bunch of folks.
@2:25
I am sure you thought you are so clever as you typed that screed. But you have it totally backward. The jet people earn their fortunes in cities like Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, etc and commute by jet back to their 500 acre Plantations in Mississippi where they can love like gods and own an entire town including the sheriff, mayor, and state politicians.
And I doubt any comment that names them will get approved.
This is an election ploy if I ever saw one. The only thing we asked for was to do away with the tax on groceries. Simple - yes or no, but gez let's just do away with income tax over 10 years and raised taxes on everything else and they still don't get rid of the taxes on groceries. Besides if they would just let the medical marijuana alone and tax the crap out of it, they'd have a lot of extra money. But oh no, you can drink yourself into oblivion behind closed doors (Hello Baptists) but you can't smoke a joint for pain or ptsd.
Talking about screw up a one car funeral. Pay attention voters. Especially the City of Madison. When they don't do what's common sense and the will of the voters, VOTE THEM OUT.
The year is 2026. Mississippi is still debating abolishing the income tax while all the surrounding states now have no income taxes.
I see we have several people in the cult of (overpaid) Nancy “Loon”
@1:29
"I've got a little advice for all these pols. Watch yourselves dummies. As in this article nobody is mentioning the 400lb gorilla in the room....seniors/retirees but they can believe this....we're watching."
AMEN. "Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take...every single day, every word you say, every game you play...every smile you fake, every claim you stake..."
If Gunn, while sitting on the edge of his desk explaining the bill, had only worn madras bell bottoms, a paisley shirt and polka dot tie....with a little Brylcream, telling us "I'll sell you the car and I'll finance it!"
If you can't trust The Speakah, who can you trust?
1:23 must be a politician, as the only thing he seems focused on is maneuvering for the next primary season. I have to believe there is more to governing than just the next election. When our elected servants stand for nothing but pure politics, it's time to clean house.
"Forget about the tax bill...I want to know more about these private jet riding millionaires who fly into Jackson everyday in their multi-million dollar jets!
I imagine this is a typical day for these folks:
Wake up
Walk out on balcony to overlook 500 acre homestead
Put on $9,000 Kiton Suit
Helicopter to nearby private airstrip
Board Bombardier Global 7500
Fly to JAN
Rent Altima from Avis
Drive through McDonald's for Egg McMuffin on way to Capitol
Spend the day bribing everyone to eliminate the state income tax
Drive back to Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport
Drop off car
Board jet
Light cigars with $100 bills for the flight back to Mansion
Jackson is such a millionaire's playground!
MDA has quite a few of those "special" consultants on payroll. So what you are saying is not that far removed from the Barbour, Bryant, and Reeves administrations.
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