Democrats defeat Republican tax cut ammendment

House Speaker Glenn Richardson lost his atempt to refrom taxes today when house democrats blocked his constitutional amendment to cap property assessments and cut car taxes.

Democrats wielded their minority power when they successffully blocked Glenn Richardson's plan to let voters decide whether they want to cut ad valorem taxes on cars and limit property assessments on homes. The measure fell 10 votes short of the two thirds majority needed to pass.

"I don't know what Galaxy these people who voted against it live in", said Republican speaker pro temp Mark Burkhalter, "but it certainly isn't the one most Georgians live in."

Republicans say the no vote will hurt Democrats come election time. For their part Democrats defended their votes saying they didn't want to hurt local governments. They sided with
municipalities and schoolboards who worry that a limit on property tax assessments could hurt their bond ratings and budgets.

Democratic House minorty Leader Dubose Porter says it would not have been a real tax cut, but a tax shift.

"It shifts to fees, it shifts to local services, it shifts to other things in the economy and hurts education," he said.

Porter says demorats would support cutting ad valorem taxes on cars if that proposal were presented by itself. The Amendment would have cut close to one billion dollars in taxes over 2 years.