COLORADO
STATE SENATE
STATE CAPITOL
DENVER
80203
Senate Republicans Speak Out Against Latest Assault On TABOR
Senate Republican lawmakers believe that today’s lawsuit filed in federal court seeking to invalidate Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights is an attack not only on TABOR but on the very principle of constitutionally limited government.
“The argument is wrapped up in fairly lofty terms, but ultimately, it’s just snake oil. I won’t buy it. I don’t think most Coloradans will buy it either.” said Senate Minority Leader Mike Kopp. “And while gutting the citizen’s right to veto tax increases is bad enough, there is more at play here. The legislature derives its powers from the consent of the governed. This lawsuit suggests that we should turn that on its head and remove from the people the power to put a check on their legislature.”
Assistant Minority Leader Bill Cadman called the lawsuit insulting. “The continued attacks on TABOR only strengthen the resolve of those of us who believe in the protections it has provided the people of Colorado. The fiscal restraints in our Constitution are what protect us from the deficit spending that takes place in Washington, D.C.”
The plaintiffs in this lawsuit display a profound misunderstanding of what the founders of our nation and authors of the US Constitution meant by guaranteeing a ‘republican form of government.’ A republican form of government is above all a government with lawmakers bound by a constitution. If TABOR is unconstitutional, then so is the initiative and referendum process in 20 state constitutions. This complaint is an attack on a fundamental principle of limited constitutional government.
http://www.kgwn.tv/Global/story.asp?S=14696403
