Chapter 313 Update: House Hearing Tuesday; Senate Bill Nearing Movement The House Ways and Means Committee Tuesday afternoon will consider three economic development bills dealing with the temporary school tax limitation program, Chapter 313, which is slated to expire at the end of 2014. HB 2647 by Murphy (support) would extend (for 10 years) and…

Monday Is “Prop 2 Day” In Ways & Means The Ways & Means Committee hearing agenda for April Fool’s Day includes three bills relating to the property tax exemption for pollution control property, popularly referred to as the Prop 2 exemption in recognition of its position on 1991’s constitutional amendment ballot. The bills to be…

Ways and Means: Franchise Tax Under Scrutiny The meetings of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee continue to focus on the franchise tax, in anticipation of some type of limited “reform” package. Chairman Hilderbran is considering different approaches—either a single omnibus franchise tax bill or a set of separate, narrower bills addressing changes in…

Budget Progressing; Taxes Still a Question Mark Budget writers are moving closer to wrapping up their committee work and while the budget ball will be moved a bit further down the field, the end zone is still a long ways off. By tradition, this year the budget will be a Senate bill. The Senate Finance…

House Sets Debate on Supplemental Appropriations Bill The 2012-13 Budget passed by legislators last session appropriated substantially less for Medicaid than what forecasters anticipated would be required. While Medicaid is a state-managed program that receives a substantial amount of federal funds, in truth, the state has little latitude over funding decisions. Most of the cost…