A squabble over a reviled tax Thursday led to praise for the incoming Senate president and a lawmaker’s apology in front of his kids.
Sen. Mark Scheffel asked that action be delayed on his bill to phase out the business-personal property tax over 40 years. The Parker Republican said he wanted to prepare some amendments.
Instead, Senate Majority Leader Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, proposed sending Senate Bill 85 back to the Appropriations Committee because of a new cost factor.
Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, was furious.
“That is your intent, is to kill the bill,” he said. “Be honest.”
Harvey noted that the bill survived Appropriations last week by one vote and that was because Sen. Al White, R-Hayden, was gone. White opposes the measure.
White would be present for the new hearing, and the measure likely would die on a tie vote.
At Harvey’s complaint, several lawmakers looked at each other. That’s because Harvey was livid when Democrats took advantage of his absence on the committee to approve a bill allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.
“The irony that you’re up here saying the only reason this passed before is someone was absent on Appropriations is not lost on me,” he said.
“For you to call my intent into question … is totally and completely inappropriate.”
Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, pointed out it is tradition in the Senate to honor a member’s request to delay action on a bill. And he noted that President Peter Groff was absent and had wanted to vote on the bill.
Shaffer agreed and the bill was delayed until Monday.
“He acted like he’s ready to become president,” Penry said, impressed. Shaffer takes over the president’s job next month.
Harvey later apologized to Shaffer, “if in my heated comments I crossed the line.”
Harvey said it was important to do that in front of his two children, Jack, 11, and Brooke, 8, who were in the Senate for take your kids to work day.
