In the final lead up to the May 15 Idaho primary, a couple GOP candidates for governor took the infamous “Taxpayer Protection Pledge.”
The group Americans for Tax Reform was created in 1985 by Grover Norquist. He came up with the binding “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” to help brand the Republican Party as the party of low taxes. Those who sign the pledge vow to fight raising taxes at all costs. Norquist explained the pledge on CBS’ 60 Minutes.
“I think to win a Republican primary, it is difficult to imagine somebody winning a primary without taking the pledge,” Norquist told CBS. “The Pledge is not to me; it’s to the voters. An elected official who says, ‘I think I want to break my pledge’ – he doesn’t look at me and say that; he looks at his voters and says that.”
Congressman Raul Labrador and Lt. Governor Brad Little were approached by Norquist’s group and signed the pledge this week. Boise developer and fellow GOP candidate for governor Tommy Ahlquist signed the pledge in the summer.
The three candidates have each promised to cut taxes overall if elected, but Little says he would be open to raising Idaho's fuel tax to help bolster infrastructure funding.
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