Television and radio ads intended to pressure Indiana lawmakers into supporting Gov. Mike Pence's proposed income tax cut may be backfiring.
Americans for Prosperity, a Virginia-based conservative political advocacy group, deployed the 60-second ads in the Indianapolis area this month.
They suggest the Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate are more interested in recklessly spending money than returning excess tax funds to Hoosiers.
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said Thursday nothing could be further from the truth, declaring the ads "completely erroneous" and noting House Republicans have passed 12 tax cuts in the past 12 years.
"Our leadership team is the most conservative fiscal leadership team the state has enjoyed in decades," Bosma said. "We are the reason the state came through the worst recession since the Great Depression with a surplus, increased bond rating, reserves intact."
Bosma said he's still willing to talk with the new Republican governor about his plan to cut the income tax rate to 3.06 percent from 3.4 percent. But he said repeated false statements by one of Pence's biggest backers — including calling Bosma a RINO, or Republican in name only — aren't helping.
"Doesn't mean there can't be compromise, can't be discussion," Bosma said. "Labels don't matter much, particularly labels from folks that don't live around here."
