Details, schmetails, you don't need to know what's in the big Statehouse tax deal

Our state lawmakers may be nearing a big deal on taxes, but mum's the word. James Q. Lynch does his best to read the smoke signals:

According to various reports, the property tax plan, which may be as large as $400 million, if approved by the split-control Legislature, will provide tax relief to commercial property owners and offer some protection – but not necessarily lower taxes - to residential property owners.

“Property tax is the biggest and most significant part of it, but there are priorities for both the House Republicans and Senate Democrats,” Gov. Terry Branstad said Wednesday at a bill signing.

However, Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, wouldn't confirm that – or much of anything else.

“I'm not sure what's in it,” Bolkcom said when asked about the income tax part and an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit that he has insisted on. People are working on property tax relief, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, agreed the parties are close, but declined to talk about what was in the bill.

“We need to finish our discussion in caucus,” Gronstal said, referring to his 26 Senate Democrats. “Until we do that we're not going to talk about it.”

Lawmakers “have the right to hear this from us before it gets rolled out,” added Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines.

Indeed, the right of legislators to hear legislative details in a closed party caucus is sacred.  I think it's on the Iowa flag or in the Constitution or something like that. It would be a real shame if taxpayers knew something about the big tax deal before lawmakers. 

I know this is how things work in the final days/hours of a legislative session. Deals get done and they move quickly, for fear that they may spoil quickly in the sunshine. Shoot first and deal with the unintended consequences later.

And I agree that, by now, everyone has had plenty of time to weigh in on tax issues.

It's tradition. But that's weak justification for playing coy on major legislation affecting hundreds of thousands of Iowans. We may know what the big pieces will be, property taxes, income taxes, the Earned Income Tax Credit, etc. But the details matter. I hope we get them sooner than later.

On the plus side of transparency, lawmakers provided $275,000 for the Iowa Public Information Board. Not the $400,000 that the governor wanted, but better than the paltry $100,000 offered by House Republicans.