There were a lot of memorable scenes at the tea party convention in Richmond over the weekend, but looking it’s what lies ahead for the tea party in Virginia that is of immediate concern. One of its key tests will be whether it can maneuver its ambitious legislative agenda through the next General Assembly session.
The marquee issue is the “repeal amendment,” which has the backing of House Speaker Bill Howell. This amendment (explained here by its author, Georgetown University law Prof. Randy Barnett) is part of a larger, national process and may take years to unfold. But also on the agenda are a number of issues that would change Virginia’s political landscape immediately – including measures to scrap the state’s corporate and personal income taxes, to provide strong constitutional protections for property rights and to enact education tax credits.
Getting any of these bills past Senate Democrats will be a distinct challenge. But last year, few expected the Health Freedom bill (currently being litigated in federal court by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli), to get out of the Senate and it did – to the chagrin of majority leader Dick Saslaw.
But Saslaw isn’t the only obstacle. Local government lobbyists, VDOT, housing and economic development authorities, and a host of private companies are on record opposing a constitutional amendment strengthening property rights. As for education tax credits (a means to achieve broad school choice)…a somewhat similar measure came before the Senate Finance committee last year and was decried by committee Democrats as “selling children.”
Regarding efforts to repeal the corporate and personal income taxes, there was a measure to dump the corporate tax in the last session, but it died at the hands of Republicans in the House, ostensibly because Gov. Bob McDonnell refused to give his blessing.
Against that backdrop, the challenges for the tea party legislative agenda would appear long indeed.
But remember: 2011 is an election year, and even the most recalcitrant, blinkered pol can be made to see the light if enough pressure is applied. Considering the tea parties and other patriot groups have proven they can turn out the troops, and turn up the heat, on issues they care about, there’s plenty of reason to believe that a genuinely far-reaching set of ideas will find its way safely through the General Assembly.
