Wisconsin Senate Dems Ram Another Tax Increase Through.

Digusting. These Democrats are absolutely mad with tax increaseitis.

From WISGOP Blog.

Madison, Wisc…] Sen. Randy Hopper: Senate Democrats today abandoned the bipartisan solution to the drunk driving crisis in Wisconsin adopted by the State Assembly by trying to hide a $20 million tax hike within the proposal, State Senator Randy Hopper said today.

“It’s shameful that Senate Democrats are playing partisan politics with people’s lives,” Hopper said. “Republicans weren’t even afforded the time to read the proposal before the start of our hearing today. I could not responsibly support or oppose a measure that I haven’t even been allowed an opportunity to read. This is why I refused to cast a vote. Apparently the Senate Democrats will stop at nothing to conceal their picking of the taxpayers’ pockets.”

Assembly Bill 283 passed the Assembly last month on a unanimous vote. This bipartisan legislation stiffens penalties for drunk driving and requires ignition interlocks for most repeat offenders. It also protects our children by making a first offense OWI a felony if a child is in the vehicle. Senate Bill 66, also combating drunk driving, was scheduled for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee today.

Unbeknownst to the public and Republican members of the legislature, Senate Democrats have been developing a substitute amendment to SB 66 since passage of the AB 283. This proposal was finally released only 13 minutes before the start of the committee hearing today. Included in the substitute amendment is a 58% increase in the tax on hard liquor, costing taxpayers $20 million. No public hearing has been held on the tax increase and no member of the public has been allowed to weigh-in.

“Senate Democrats apparently can’t even take the most serious of issues seriously,” Hopper said. “The ultra-partisan senate Democrat leadership should learn a lesson from their colleagues in the Assembly who were able to join with Republicans to find a common-sense bipartisan solution to a serious public safety issue.