February 28, 2005

Wheel Tax Greaser Update

State Rep. Jerome Cochran reports that his efforts to fix a bad piece of legislation that would make it easier for county commissions in Tennessee to raise wheel taxes - and strip the right of citizens to overturn such tax increases with a petition drive and referendum - have failed.

Via email Monday afternoon, Cochran said he "wanted you to know that my amendment to reinstate the petition by citizens and 2/3 vote by county commissions was not agreed to, so Rep. Davis and myself have withdrawn our names from the bill."

During a series of emails exchanged last Friday recounted as blog postings here, Cochran had at first defended the bill, which he said he asked the legislature's legal staff to draft, but later implied he hadn't read the finished product, claiming that once he examined it he found it had been "inadvertently" drafted to delete the current provisions in Tennessee code that allow for the petition drive and referendum.

It is good news that Cochran and Rep. Davis have withdrawn their support for the bill. The bad news, however, has three parts: The legislation Cochran had drafted still has the provisions in it that make it easier for county commissions to raise wheel taxes and harder for Tennesseans to fight back. Three of the four remaining co-sponsors of the legislation are Democrats. And legislation remains alive and rolling in the state House, which is controlled by Democrats.

Rep. Cochran's inadvertent mistake still may end up costing you higher wheel taxes - and less power over your elected county officials - in the years ahead.

HobbsOnline intends to stay on this story - a story the entire state capital press corps has missed or ignored - until it reaches a conclusion.