The Washington Post reports that the fiscal conservatives in the GOP controlled Virginia House have passed a $750 million tax increase, including raising the sales tax, and tax on cigarettes. The budget now goes to the Senate, who had asked for a nearly $4 Billion tax increase.

Fiscal GOP conservatives scolded Republicans who crossed party lines to vote in favor of the tax hike.

"The governor and the other body have played you all for fools," said Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, a freshman Republican from Prince William County who joined 44 Republicans and two Democrats in voting against the bill.

The tax increase is not surprising. Earlier this year the Legislature shifted the debate from whether or not to raise taxes, to fighting over how much to raise them. I cannot help but think that the states are doing their best to undo the benefit of the Bush tax cuts. Anyone who has been supporting the multitude of state tax hikes around the nation, shouldn't bitch about the slow economic recovery.