House Republicans Tuesday called a press conference to reiterate their support for a budget plan that doesn’t raise any taxes, but stopped short of uttering the words that got former President George Bush in so much trouble.
“I’m not going to make that kind of pledge,” said House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, when asked if he would refuse to vote for any budget with a tax increase in it. “You can take it as you wish.”
Republicans in both the House and Senate have said they will not support any hike in the cigarette tax, or any other tax, to balance the budget. Gov. John Baldacci has proposed a $1 hike in the cigarette tax to raise $131 million, and Democratic leaders say they support a 75-cent increase to raise just over $100 million.
“We’ve been very consistent from Day 1 that we can get a budget balanced without a tax increase,” Tardy said, by focusing on cost drivers like Medicaid and state employee health insurance.
The Republican budget calls for several Medicaid initiatives, including a requirement that recipients making more than 150 percent of what the federal government considers poverty have to pay a monthly premium – suggested at $75 – and co-pays for medical coverage they’re now getting for free.
Whether Democrats will agree to any Medicaid restructuring or other proposed cuts in return for some increase in the cigarette tax is yet to be seen, but Republicans say they will not force a showdown that shuts down government.
“That’s the last place we want to go,” said Rep. Sawin Millett, R-Waterford, who serves on the Appropriation’s Committee, which currently is trying to negotiate a bipartisan budget plan.
The budget needs to be passed with a two-thirds vote in the Legislature in order to go into effect by the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.
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