Representative Mike Jaros has successfully added his bill HR4127 to the House’s Omnibus Tax bill. This is important because it will be difficult to remove his amendment from the House Floor when the whole “omnibus” tax bill comes before the floor for a vote.
Mike has made some changes to it since it was first drafted. Currently Mike has it set up so that the Red Plan will be vulnerable to a “reverse referendum” just like other building plans are in every other Minnesota School District. In other words, once Mike’s law is passed Duluth voters would be able to petition to place the Red Plan on the ballot. 1500 signatures is all that would be necessary to get it on the ballot. Child’s play.
This may not be the final language adopted when the Senate and House tax bills go to a conference committee because Senator Tom Bakk’s original language simply kills the Red Plan without requiring a reverse referendum. Let Duluth Vote will be satisfied with either way of dealing with the Red Plan.
Mike is optimistic that Governor Pawlenty will not find anything in the bill to merrit a veto.
