Senate Bill 11 made its way to the House consent Calendar without resistance. It was there that it the bill was then pulled from consent and briefly debated the following day, and put on probation for two weeks. It will be back.
But how did it get as far as it did given language so broad that as law it could be used to tax well and septic owners for services they were not using?
Did anyone ask why the towns involved needed a new law when existing statue already gave them the means to do what they claimed they needed this bill to do?
And we know there are paid staffers and legislative analysts in the employ of legislators who claim to be bulwarks against the risk of such arbitrary forms of taxation. Why didn’t they question or challenge SB11’s language?
SB11 is not dead. It should be killed. We do not need this bill. But if it cannot be killed the language must be tightened to protect the taxpayers from the risk of regional boards with the power to accumulate debt and then pass on the costs of their spending to anyone and everyone regardless. Well and septic owners must stand up and defend their water rights.
House legislators must be held to account for this vote. Do they intend to tax you for services you have no access to or simply do not need or cannot use? Challenge them to answer you before the two weeks is up.
