[H]ouse Republicans said they would support Gov. Peter Shumlin should he opt to veto the tax bill.
The governor has publicly expressed his displeasure with the $35 million tax package the Legislature has spent months fine-tuning. In a thinly veiled veto threat, Shumlin has reiterated repeatedly over the past several weeks that he wants lawmakers to make additional budget cuts.
At a caucus meeting Thursday, Republicans declared by an overwhelming voice vote that they would back the Democratic governor if he vetoes the tax bill.
When asked by reporters if the House GOP members are his new best friends, Shumlin said it’s the time in the session “where I can be most constructive by trying to work with all sides to get out of here with a sensible bill.”
“Sensible bills include balancing the budget, in my view, making some additional cuts before we ask Vermonters to pay higher taxes,” Shumlin said.
If all 53 House Republicans were to stick with their opposition to the bill, Democrats would not have the necessary two-thirds majority to override a veto.
In the previous three biennium, House Republicans have not been in a position to take on the Democratic “super-majority.” The GOP picked up eight House seats in the 2014 election, giving them the necessary votes to prevent a veto override by the Democrats.
House Minority Leader Rep. Don Turner, R-Milton, called the meeting to take his caucus’ temperature in the event of a veto.
“I don’t really care he’s a Democrat,” Turner said. “If he’s willing to lower the taxes, that’s what we want and we’re going to go with it.”
Turner had not been in touch with members of the administration about the tax bill before the caucus vote, but he said Republicans were trying to send the administration a message.
“We were just trying to make sure that the governor understood he had the votes to sustain a veto on the tax bill if he so chooses to do that,” Turner said.
Later in the day, Turner spoke with Justin Johnson, the secretary of the Agency of Administration. Johnson said he told Turner that he will keep in contact with him as budget discussions continue, but that there was no particular “ask.”
“At this point, it’s a little early,” Johnson said. “We’re not talking about that.”
Some members of the GOP caucus raised concerns about lending support to the Democratic governor. Rep. Kurt Wright, R-Burlington, brought up Shumlin’s initial tax proposal, which would have raised $90 million through a 0.7 percent payroll tax.
Rep. Topper McFaun, R-Barre Town, said complaints about high taxes were a common refrain from voters ahead of the November elections.
“Everybody in this building heard the same thing: people want their taxes under control,” McFaun said. “Therefore, if the governor is coming that way, I’m more than willing to help him and … do what the people asked us to do.”
If the tax package gets the axe, it would leave the spending bill approximately $35 million over budget. Turner did not offer any specific ideas for budget cuts — that would be up to the majority party, he said.
“Not everybody would like it, but it would be what my constituents want: To rein in spending,” Turner said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:18 p.m. on May 14. Anne Galloway contributed to this report.
