Finance committee hears from groups proposing spending cap

By GWEN FLORIO
Tribune Capitol Bureau

Article published Jun 10, 2006

HELENA — The groups who oppose a ballot initiative to limit state spending took their fight to the Legislative Finance Committee on Friday, arranging for a former lawmaker from Colorado — which has a similar cap — to tell the panel why he thinks it's a bad idea.

"We saw a reduction in revenues that was really staggering, precedent setting," said Brad Young, a Republican and former chairman of the Colorado Legislature's Joint Budget Committee.

Young referred to the effects of Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which amended that state's constitution to limit spending. Last year, Coloradans voted to suspend TABOR for five years after a campaign that argued the rebates taxpayers received under TABOR were negligible compared to the cuts in state services it caused.

Montana's initiative effort, called Stop Over Spending, is not as strict as TABOR, but would use a similar formula that ties state spending to population growth and inflation. SOS backers must collect 45,000 signatures by June 23 to guarantee their proposal a spot on the November ballot.

Young wrote an 81-page book called "TABOR and Direct Democracy: An Essay on the End of the Republic," which he handed out to committee members Friday. He said TABOR actually had the effect of shrinking state budgets over time.

But Trevis Butcher, who heads Montana's SOS campaign, said Friday that "whenever the voters have a say in what happens in the state of Montana through the electoral process, it's a positive thing." He predicts the group will easily collect the required number of signatures.

Sen. Rick Laible, R-Victor, wondered why the matter even came before the committee, given that it didn't involve a proposed bill. But committee Chairman John Cobb, R-Augusta, said that because the initiative would affect the state's budget, he thought it appropriate to hear from both pro- and anti-SOS groups. SOS backers will address the committee at its October meeting, he said.

Shortly after Young spoke to the committee, a truck cruised past the Capitol pulling a giant pink pig, which is the SOS group's mascot.

SOS-type initiatives have been proposed in several states this year with the financial backing of Americans for Limited Government, an Illinois group.

Young's trip was sponsored by the state teachers union, [correction! it was sponsored by Not In Montana], which vehemently opposes SOS.