Taxpayers Ejected From Tax Hearing

During a public hearing on the Democrat plan to tax Iowans' taxes, House Speaker Pat Murphy ordered state troopers to remove the citizens sitting in the Capitol galleries when they refused to quit booing tax supporters and applauding tax opponents.

IowaPolitics.com's Lynn Campbell reported Wednesday:

"More than 500 people packed the Iowa Capitol and the House galleries Tuesday night, largely in opposition to a plan that would eliminate the ability of Iowans to deduct their federal tax payments when calculating state tax liability. They wore red T-shirts from Iowans for Tax Relief that stated, 'no tax on a tax.'

"The crowd booed and hissed supporters of the legislation, and applauded opponents. They were reprimanded several times by House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Shomshor, but the boos and applause continued. Murphy initially came out, ordered that decorum be kept and threatened to clear the chamber, but the applause continued.

"The final straw came when Greg Baker, a University of Iowa student and state chairman of the College Republicans of Iowa, told lawmakers: 'Please quit messing up this state.'

"The crowd burst into applause. Shomshor pounded the gavel and ordered the galleries cleared at 8:27 p.m. Murphy came out to enforce the order, which was immediately followed by angry shouts by the audience.

"'This is our House!' one person shouted.

"'We pay you!' another shouted.

"'You're fired!' a third shouted."

The first two people are right. Let's hope the third person turns out to be prophetic.