There a lot of things that could happen. But only a few actually do happen. This may be one.

A few months back we reported that Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) was tossing around the idea of using the District as a testing ground for a flat tax. Given that he chairs the Senate’s Appropriations Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, has presidential aspirations and nowhere else to use as his own personal “laboratory,” this has always been a distinct possibility. And now it may come to pass, reports WJLA.

Tomorrow Brownback will chair a hearing to further explore the issue, one that he has openly proclaimed to be excited about. His excitement may be tempered by stiff opposition from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, though, their non-voting status notwithstanding. The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. in 124 Dirksen.

We’re not real big fans of the idea. It’s not so much that we think a flat tax won’t work, it’s that we’d rather not see it imposed by congressional fiat. Lord knows the country’s tax system could use an overhaul and the tax code a good re-write, but the District may not be the best place to start for those trying to be creative about it.