Hey, it’s an election year.
Even with the General Assembly wrapping up and both chambers still faced with tackling a budget before adjournment scheduled for Feb. 26, Senate Democrats still managed to force their Republican colleagues into an uncomfortable vote against a tax cut Friday.
Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, tacked on to a bill expanding the authority of four counties to impose a 5 percent transient occupancy tax on places like hotels and motels a budget amendment that would repeal taxes on room rentals in a number of counties and cities represented by Republicans, including Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg.
The amendment would cut taxes by about $300 million a year.
“Certainly, I find it hard to believe that anybody could vote against a tax cut like this,” said Saslaw. “I’m trying to help my friends out… I think that, you know, people want tax relief, and by God, we’re giving it to them.”
Obenshain called the proposal “flat irresponsible,” noting that hundreds of millions of dollars of bonds have been issued on the basis of revenue generated from such taxes.
The Senate passed the bill on a party line 22-18 vote, which Democrats quickly jumped on.
“A number of Senate Republicans showed their true tax beliefs today on the Senate floor,” said Keiana Page, communications director for the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus. “They promote tax cuts on the campaign trail and occasionally vote for tax cuts for other districts. However, when it comes to their districts some of them would rather receive revenue than cut taxes.”
