We are at a critical point in the session and activities over the next few days will reveal answers to key political questions: Will the cordial House – Senate sing-along remain harmonious? What will this budget reveal about the next governor’s race, and will any potentially interested candidates try to use it to their advantage? Can a national party play-book provide winning strategies in the Commonwealth? And how does the Executive branch fare after all is said and done?
On one hand, the Senate has made significant changes to the House version of the budget. These changes could cause the very situations to occur which the House proposal sought to avoid: worker layoffs and furloughs; cuts to educations, and program cuts to human services that Kentucky families depend on. Nevertheless, in actual dollars, the difference between the House and Senate versions of the budget is only about $100 million. One would think that we can easily fight ourselves out of this bag!
The Senate criticism of the House budget, widely hyped in the media, is that it provides a state version of a Jobs Bill. . . and we “know” government cannot create jobs. Only the private sector can do that – right? I’m always fascinated that the very people who assail our government for “Taxing and Spending” to fund water and sewer lines, bridges, roads, schools and a range of needed projects that put people to work making a living wage, these individuals never have a problem trotting over to the other end of the Capitol to get projects in their districts placed in the budget! I’ve never seen one turn down a project.
Will President Williams let political practicality trump party principals, or does he allow his charges to leave and go campaign with little to crow about, and no pork to serve up to constituents back home?
And how is it that Senate Dems overwhelmingly supported this Senate budget anyway? A budget that threatens job layoffs, cuts education, hurts Kentucky’s middle and working class families and jeopardizes our most vulnerable citizens? Maybe they were not paying attention; but if they were paying attention, what were they thinking?
Across the country, state politics are being increasingly influenced - on both sides – by national politics. Maybe the Tea Baggers offer a third option for some. But will national strategies score points on p’ball courts [yes, ‘p’ as in political] in Kentucky? For Dems, some have clearly run away from our federal Administration, much to the chagrin of core party faithful.
Their “Moonwalk Over Kentucky” may have resulted in a string of Democrat defeats and contributed to the inability of the state Party to live up to its registrant potential. If that’s true, one would think Dems would get the message: You can’t out-Repub a Repub! A sharp, focused state Party campaign with a consistent, unabashedly Democrat message about our priorities on delivering services, creating jobs and helping Kentucky families could be the ticket that wins back the hearts and minds of a wayward flock trying to “be like Mike”. Such a campaign would at least provide an outlet for selling our own unique brand of Kentucky Democrat spirits – one that speaks to the people! (Hmm...I hear tale you can hear voices if you get a hold of some bad White Lightening, too!!).
One issue I hear being discussed a good deal is the role of the governor’s office in all this. Called irrelevant, if we do NOT pass a budget, the Governor will be very relevant by calling us back into Special Session to complete the job we were sent here to do. Today, a group of us shared a warning amongst ourselves. Our vision is sometimes shaped by our Frankfort surroundings. We would be wise to remember our constituents back home do not have such limitations. Governor Beshear has been actively traveling the state attending many local functions, some of them complete with oversized checks being delivered for one project or another. He is working to ensure state government is functioning efficiently and that we continue as a state to earn our “business-friendly” wings.
Here’s one issue the Governor could take the lead on. It relates to a hot button topic here inside the Capitol and right in front of his office – the ability of individuals to bring and bear arms to meetings of the House and Senate. The larger issue, of course, is the ability to bring and bear arms inside ANY state owned building. While we legislators carefully monitor reports of the growing number of overt attacks on Congressmen and women, their homes and offices following the Healthcare Reform bill vote, we also note an increase in the number of persons exercising their 2nd Amendment right here in the Capitol. I am particularly aware we must examine the safety of ALL state workers as they go about their daily duties at their workplaces. It has been suggested the Governor could issue an edict to resolve the question. I hope you will follow this development carefully and urge the governor to ACT!
The Budget Conference Committee will meet throughout the weekend. It must complete its work by Sunday afternoon IF we are to keep the established session calendar. That calendar calls for Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31, to be Concurrence Days. We’ll be deciding whether to concur with or reject Senate amendments to bills. Then our Veto Days begin and Governor Beshear will be deciding which bills he will veto or sign into law. We then have April 12 and 13 to override any vetoes and SINE DIE – the final day – is on the 13th as well.
That is what the plan is, and what the calendar call for. I know it’s hard to believe, but both the plan and the calendar have been known to change! Stay Tuned.
Reginald Meeks