HB 67a, the grocery tax repeal bill, will be referred to a House committee for a review of the Senate amendments, House Speaker Scott Bedke says. The committee then would typically make a recommendation to the full House to either concur not concur in the amendments.

When the House first passed HB 67, it was an income tax-cut bill. The Senate “radiator-capped” it – a legislative idiom for removing all the content but for the bill number (the radiatior cap) and pulling a whole new vehicle in under it – transforming it into a grocery tax repeal bill.

“We’re going to play it by ear,” Bedke said. “We’re not going to leave bills of that importance hanging.”

He noted, “It’s been my practice to send those things back to the committee for a quick review. This one’s been completely radiator-capped, and that has to be addressed.”

But, he said, “We’re going to properly handle that, and I won’t as the speaker get in the way of that being properly handled.”

Bedke said he’s long made his position on the grocery tax clear: “I think the state is better served with a broader base and a low rate.”

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