Budget negotiations or a game of chicken?

How the budget process should work

In January, after the beginning of a new legislative session,  the governor announces her budget priorities for the next fiscal year. Projections of expected revenue are given by various “bean counters” at the capitol. With projected revenue in mind lawmakers can draft bills requiring new or increased appropriations in addition to crafting budget bills to pay for existing, continuing expenses.

The process of crafting budget bills usually starts mid-session with the governor’s office and representatives from the majority party in both chambers coming together to discuss priority spending. Unfortunately, the minority party usually has only a small voice in these discussions.

Both chambers then vote on the same budget bills. Usually after passing a budget, the session ends with one chamber sending a delegation to the other chamber telling them their duties for the session have been accomplished and, with permission, they will adjourn Sine Die. (Sine Die: Latin for without another date indicating the end of session)

After passing both chambers the bills are sent to the governor.  This must be accomplished by the last day of June or state services halt on July 1.

What happened this session

Budget negotiations started later than usual. Both chambers taking numerous mini vacations, when they should have been at the capitol, did not help the time schedule to get a budget drafted nor to pass necessary legislation. Early on in the process, the House of Representatives budget team made it clear they were being influenced by their Freedom Caucus members. They stopped negotiating with their senate colleagues, went rogue and wrote up their own budget proposal which the governor assured was dead on arrival.

Even with the governor’s promise of a veto the House passed their version of a budget on a party line vote. Democrats did not even attend the sham session. 

And then….  The Senate voted on the budget crafted with only input from the senate and the governor. No one was happy with the senate version. Democrats thought it did not address all real funding problems and some republicans thought it was too “woke” and expensive.  John Kavanagh, as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, spear-headed the budget efforts. He acknowledged that while the legislature controls the purse strings in passing a budget, the governor has veto power and it would be futile to pass a budget sure to be vetoed. (as the House did)

After passing their budget, the senate pulled a surprise move and declared Sine Die. This signaled to the House that the budget was not to be amended and was a take it or leave it deal. This move did not go over well.

The Speaker of the House has said his chamber will not be painted into a corner by the senate and has vowed to come up with a continuing budget resolution only. A continuing resolution is needed to keep essential services in place and stop a complete state shutdown. It’s used in state government, just like in Washington, when government is dysfunctional. The governor has already said she will not sign a continuation budget.

Stay tuned. This drama is not over.