Two votes to note: Conservative state Senate Republicans vote for Internet tax collections, path to citizenship

by Jon Ralston Fri, 04/05/2013 - 13:35

 

Amid headlines about NV Energy's bombshell, sports betting kiosks and, of course, pot, largely unnoticed were two interesting Senate Joint Resolutions passed this week with the votes of the most conservative members of the GOP caucus.

First piece of evidence is SJR 5, which urges Congress to pass The Marketplace Fairness Act, which has to do with Internet sales tax collections and is considered by some lawmakers to be a state budget booster worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The act actually passed the U.S. Senate in a symbolic vote last month. But many Republicans do not like it, including Dean Heller.  "Senator Heller believes taxing the internet will hurt both consumers and small businesses," his spokeswoman, Chandler Smith, told me at the time. "Consumers will end up either paying more, or lose access to certain products altogether.  Small businesses already spend billions on tax compliance every year and additional burdens will only stifle economic growth."

On Wednesday, SJR 5 passed the state Senate...unanimously. Yes, all 10 Republicans voted for it.

So Dean Heller is on the "conservative" side and Don Gustavson, Barbara Cegavske and Co. are on the other? What planet am I on?

Second piece if evidence is SJR 15 -- no, not the mining tax one (that's SJR 15 of the previous session). SJR 15 urges Congress to pass comprehensive immigratiopn reform, and says it "must include a realistic pathway to citizenship for all hardworking and taxpaying, aspiring citizens who live in this country and meet reasonable requirements."

On Wednesday, SJR 15 passed the state Senate....unanimously. Yes, all 10 Republicans voted for it.

Now I knew the Hispanic vote totals, especially in Nevada, had many GOP folks suddenly seeing brown people after November. But unanimous?

Is the center of GOP gravity in Carson City shifting? Or is this just a temporal, seemingly tectonic shift?

Talk to me June 3.

(Image from nwhogfiles.com)

 

 

 

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