Committee action, May 5: HB 758, HB 189, HB 518

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 758 by state Rep. Jay Morris originally would make use of the estimates in the tax exemption budget, validated by the Revenue Estimating Conference, by making them separate appropriations and the refund portion capped by the estimate. But he immediately offered up amendments that changed the bill considerably by requiring the Legislature to appropriate annually the estimated amount of the tax exemption in question in its entirety for each, through fiscal year 2020. The House Appropriations Committee members seemed somewhat perplexed by the set, which Morris said originated from the Department of Revenue in response to members’ concerns. So, nobody wanted to put them forward and vote on them.

He also had another set of amendments that established when actual request for expenditures went over that appropriated amount, then a value methodology, the details of which would be determined by the executive branch, would be employed to determine who got what amount of credits. He told committee members a first-come-first-serve regimen would cause chaos. Rep. John Schroder suggested the bill just get voted on as is, and nobody offered the amendments, with Morris lamenting he had co-authors on the committee that seemed unenthusiastic about it.

Department of Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield then came to the table and said he wasn’t sold on the original bill’s approach in that putting caps on these might dilute the power of the incentives, and thought the bill should have more work.  Chairman Jim Fannin said he didn’t like that philosophy, because it in effect took appropriation power out of the hands of the Legislature, and that it should control appropriation over everything. Other committee members then declared open season on Barfield and began peppering him with largely unrelated bill questions about budgetary flexibility, aggregate personnel decisions, raising revenues, and other bills addressing this issue.

Schroder moved favorable passage, and there was no objection.

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HB 189 by Rep. Harold Ritchie would amend the Constitution revert back to four years ago what the session ordering, making fiscal-only sessions in the first and third years of legislative terms. He told the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee the five prefiled bill exception enabled new members to introduce the general items they wanted.

Chairman Neil Abramson reminded that by House rule the committee had to certify only an amendment could resolve the issue, and it did so unanimously. Some minor amending to ballot language occurred, and Abramson also pointed out that its language possibly conflicted with HB 518 by Julie Stokes that also would clarify what constitutes a “fiscal” issue.

It was reported without objection.

DID YOU KNOW?

Then came to this committee HB 518. Stokes said statute was too narrow, which her constitutional amendment would address and expand the ability to deal with tax measures in fiscal-only sessions. The ballot language referenced the current session arrangement, thus the potential conflict with HB 189. Abramson suggested clarifications to the ballot language, which Stokes accepted. The committee certified it did something only an amendment could, and he gave the conflicting language reminder to Stokes.

It was reported without objection.