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TOPEKA — When the Legislature stopped work Saturday night in anticipation of Mother's Day, it appeared a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans was poised to get its way on budget and tax bills.

The Senate and House and House have eached passed coalition budget plans and the Senate has approved a tax bill that the House has yet to take up.

At 6:03 p.m. on Sunday, House Speaker Mike O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, sent the following email to members of the House Republican caucus warning them of the political consequences of voting to increase taxes. O'Neal and other House Republican leaders have consistently opposed tax increases. The subject line was, "Winds of Discontent:"

The email

"House Republicans

Brief as it was, I hope you enjoyed a Mothers’ Day away from the Capital.

I came across the two attached pieces today and made an instant connection. The first story details the remarkable defeat of Conservative 3-term Utah Senator Bob Bennett. He was taken out by his own party at the GOP convention for not being conservative enough. We’re not talking social issues. We’re talking fiscal issues. Taxpayers are mad as hell with elected officials who are adding to the deficit, supporting bailouts, embracing mandated health coverage and going for earmarks. Well, it’s Utah, you say. However, this and the other recent mid-term elections, are sending a message to the rest of the country. It’s not about being Republican or Democrat. It’s about fiscal responsibility. It’s about protecting taxpayers and not growing government. If we think this won’t affect state races, we’re sadly mistaken.

In Kansas, a traditional red state like Utah, we’re poised to not only not address government overspending, we’re actually on the brink of adding to our spending and bonded indebtedness. And we’re doing it by passing the most regressive tax there is during a recession that has caused unprecedented unemployment in our state. And we’re doing it in the face of already imposed increases in unemployment taxes and the probable sunset of the Bush tax cuts. And we’re doing it when other states are avoiding tax increases and are doing the things they need to do to be ready for a competitive exit from the recession. How will all this be viewed? We know how our taxpayers will view it. But how do even the Liberals view it?

The second attachment is a Sunday editorial from my local paper, the Hutch News. Our editor is pretty liberal. He supports spending and taxation. Read how even he berates the proposal under consideration to raise the sales tax. We know we don’t have to raise taxes to fund ongoing state operations and fund schools. The school debate on SB 74 proved beyond all doubt the extent of reserves the schools have to not only support current spending levels, but support increases. We have an opportunity to fund schools AND help the less and least fortunate Kansans. And we can do it without heaping a historic tax increase onto the backs of the Kansas taxpayers least able to afford it. Other than demonstrating that a coalition can reject a House Appropriations plan and pass one of their own, what has truly been accomplished? This is not a good election year to be admitting that you have your heart set on raising taxes. We can do better. The adage: “Be careful what you ask for”, is alive and well. Fear not that your opposition will come from the left this year. Like Sen. Bennett, your worst fear should be who will challenge you from the right. (And don’t assume a conservative sounding Democrat challenger will always be perceived as being to your left. You’d be the incumbent who served in the Legislature when taxes were raised, whether you voted for them or not.)"

Michael R. O'Neal

Speaker of the House

104th District

Hutchinson, Ks"