Thank you Rep. Jill Koford for protecting Taxpayers
The 45-day legislative session here in Utah can be a pressure cooker for everyone involved. Because of the short, seven-week period, legislation moves quickly. Making changes and analyzing the impact of those changes has to happen fast. Understanding complex and in-depth issues in a matter of hours is often required. The days can be long, but the weeks fly by, and you can be caught off guard if you aren’t careful.
Because of the fast pace, there is obvious increased pressure on lawmakers to pass bills. They were elected to get things done, and it’s much easier to tell voters you voted to create something or fund a program than it is to say you voted no and opposed a new government program or spending idea.
Despite that pressure, one particular legislator this session withstood the urge to “get something done quick,” carefully examined the policy, and determined it wasn’t the right thing to do.
Rep. Jill Koford, R-Ogden, had legislation this session that would have asked voters to vote to increase the primary residential exemption for homeowners from 45 percent to 60 percent.
Under Utah’s property tax system, the legislation would have decreased property taxes for homeowners but significantly increased taxes for businesses across the state. Koford took the time to analyze the policy and determined that while the proposal might provide some relief to homeowners, it would be detrimental to Utah’s business environment.
Because of that, she abandoned the bill because, as she told me, it wasn’t the right policy. Don’t misunderstand, she does want to lower taxes and that is laudable, but she doesn’t want to do a tax shift.
To explain further, Koford recognized that if businesses saw their taxes increase, they would likely pass those costs on to the public. In other words, residents would end up paying for the tax break they thought they were receiving through higher prices for goods and services.
It isn’t easy for a lawmaker to walk away from legislation. They receive only a limited number of priority bills, legislation that is drafted more quickly and has a better chance of being heard and passed. Often, colleagues and constituents are cheering them on to run the bill. To abandon it is a significant act and one that should be recognized.
In today’s political climate, it is difficult for an elected official to say they learned new information and decided to change course. They are often labeled a “flip-flopper” or worse by their opponents. I would argue we should applaud politicians who are willing to learn — those who are willing to hear all the arguments and then make the best decision for the people who elected them.
In this case, Koford did just that. She learned more about the issue, heard feedback from all sides, and made a decision based on what she believed was sound policy. For that, I say thank you, Rep. Koford. Thank you for standing up for sound tax policy. Thank you for being willing to listen and for having the courage to do the right thing when the popular thing might have been easier.
We need more Kofords in politics. At the national level, those who disagree with one political side or another are often seen as the enemy. It doesn’t need to be that way. Learning new information and pursuing the correct course is not a weakness. It is a strength. It is what all of us do in real life. For some reason, however, in politics it is often frowned upon. That should change.
The Utah Taxpayers Association is grateful for the example Koford set and hopes that this willingness to learn and to do the right thing will be followed by all of our elected officials in the future.