Key Kasich plank too extreme for REPUBLICAN Senate President Bill Harris

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) just poured cold water on a central plank of GOP gubernatorial candidate/FOX News commentator John Kasich to eliminate Ohio's estate tax.  The story actually discusses a initiative petition by a conservative non-profit, but the proposal is to essentially put Kasich's promise to repeal the estate tax before hte General Assembly, and then if it refuses to take action, before the voters (gee, I wonder when this conservative think tank is shooting to get this on the ballot for?  You don't think in time for the November '10 elections, do you?  Naaah.  You'd be a political cynic to believe something that nakedly political.)

The Ashland Republican said he’s willing to listen to supporters, but that he wants more information about what the bill does. When told it simply eliminates the tax, Harris said, “If it was that simple, it would have been done a long time ago.”

Like Blackwell's doomed TEL amendment, the biggest problem with repealing the estate tax is that 80% of it goes to local governments and the State of Ohio has no way of helping local government from recouping the revenues they'd lose if the estate tax is repealed.

It should be noted that conservatives have tried, unsuccessfully, to repeal the estate tax even back when the Republican Party control both houses of the General Assembly and the Governor's office.  If it died then, what real chances does it have now?

Still, it's pretty remarkable to have the REPUBLICAN legislative leader announce this is D.O.A. given its one of only two specific promises Kasich has been willing to make.  The other being Kasich's promise to gradually repeal Ohio's income tax, but even that one has hit an unexpected roadblock-- the candidate himself.  Kasich has been quoted as saying that he may not even BEGIN any such phase out at all if he's elected Governor in 2010.