Republican legislators have introduced a new version of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), which they now dub the Taxpayer Protection Amendment.

While the proposal may be sporting a new name, it is nothing more than a retread version of previous failed ideas. WEAC president Stan Johnson calls the new TABOR “fundamentally flawed and reckless fiscal policy” that would “decimate public education.”

“No matter what name the party’s leaders want to give to this proposal” said Johnson, “its purpose is to tamper with the state Constitution instead of making tough decisions and having real discussions about public resources in the light of day.”

The new version of TABOR would place into the state Constitution a formula that limits the total amount of revenue from taxes and fees collected by the state; school districts; counties; municipalities; special purpose districts and technical college districts.

For technical college districts, revenue limits could only increase by the rate of inflation plus district population growth. Technical college tuition and fees are excluded from the revenue limit. The effect of this “one-size fits all” formula would be devastating.

According to University of Wisconsin – Madison economist Andrew Reschovsky, the proposed amendment would reduce public services, hamstring the state's future economic growth, and diminish local control.

"If the costs of providing public services continue to grow faster than the inflation and population growth rates, the impact of the amendment would be to continuously reduce the level and quality of public services," said Reschovsky, a professor of public affairs and applied economics.

Reschovsky's analysis found that the proposed revenue limits would hurt economic development by limiting government's ability to invest in education, health care and transportation infrastructure.

The new version of TABOR would deal a severe blow to local responsiveness – a hallmark of the technical colleges. The formulaic approach to state fiscal policy would severely hamper the technical colleges’ ability to respond to the unique training needs and economic conditions of their communities.

TABOR’s limitations would be particularly evident during economic slowdown – periods during which the technical colleges need the resources necessary to retrain dislocated workers and provide the workforce and economic development necessary to encourage economic growth.

Without high-quality technical colleges, Wisconsin’s ability to educate its citizens and compete for businesses will suffer.