A heavily amended property tax bill got the green light from the Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee this week. HF2274 (formerly HSB 519), the Governor’s commercial property tax reform proposal, now moves to the floor. It will likely be debated early next week. The new bill attempts to mesh together the ideas from HSB500 and HSB519 into one tax reform proposal. The result of the meeting of the minds between the Governor and key House Republicans is an extremely complex piece of legislation with many moving parts and possible unintended consequences. The bill received an icy reception this week from Senate Democrats, who warn of the legislation forcing a shift of hundreds of millions onto residential taxpayers.

HF2114 was on the agenda for consideration by the House Public Safety Committee last Thursday. The bill would establish complete control of firearms with the State.  It would preempt any political subdivision from enacting an ordinance, measure, enactment, rule, resolution, motion, or policy to regulate the ownership, possession, use, discharge, carrying, transportation, registration, transfer, and storage of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition except in certain narrowly defined circumstances. The Committee chair convened the Public Safety Committee, announced an amendment to the bill would be considered and both parties went into caucus. The amendment in question would have stripped all of the bill language (known as a “strikeafter amendment”) and replaced it with the addition of the word “carrying” to the existing code section preventing local regulation of firearms. After a lengthy caucus the Committee reconvened and immediately adjourned without voting on the amendment or the bill. We will continue to watch to see whether this legislation gains new life or whether it stays stalled in committee...

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