DENOUNCING TAX REFORM

Rallying against tax plan: Paul Beckner, president of the National Chapter of the Citizens for a Sound Economy, speaks at a rally in opposition to the tax reform bill Wednesday. About 150 members of the group gathered at the Capitol to try to derail the plan, which is being pushed by Senate President John McKay. The measure would lower the sales tax rate from 6 percent to 4.5 percent but end tax exemptions that make some items and many services tax-free. Becker said state government spending has seen a “tremendous run-up” and “the McKay tax proposal is designed to ratify that run-up in spending.”