Friday, January 14, 2011
House Democrats Find a New Role
The Press Release
“Today, State Budget Director Linda Luebbering announced that the Governor has released $7.5 million in funding to local school districts to assist in covering transportation costs. This additional funding will help schools cover the cost of fuel for buses, which has risen about 10% since the start of the school year. The release is possible because revenue collections are slightly better than originally anticipated. However, there is still much uncertainty in our state revenue
collections and any additional release at this time is not prudent.”
The Back Story
House Budget Chair Ryan Silvey and Rep. Sara Lampe, the ranking Democratic member on the House Budget, joined together to call on the governor to release the funds. With revenue collection now about double the 2.2% forecast when the withholds took effect, they want the money to start to flow again. The governor’s office initially rejected the notion. But once the news conference began, they reversed course.
According to AP, the governor’s office claimed that didn’t reverse course, but just didn’t want to publicize it, because, you know, the governor hates publicity about doling out money.
A Public Policy Issue
The Jay Nixon strategy to deal with the budget is something like this: hold back $200-250 million this year, and keep those cuts in place so that there’s another $200-250 million toward the 2012 budget gap. That slices the $700 million number down to something as potentially slim as $200 million, which along with up-ticking revenue will ease the budget crunch. It’s not unreasonable.
One downside is that when FY2013 comes around, you’ve automatically budgeted yourself a fresh $200-$250 million deficit by carrying that money forward. The cynics see this as a political move to delay the pain of cuts.
A Constitutional Issue
There’s also a constitutional reason for the Republican and Democratic legislators to unite to force the governor to “release the funds.”
If a governor wants to save money for the following year, he can line-item veto from the budget and make the case for gubernatorial prudence. Those vetoes would be subject to being over-ridden by the legislature which can weigh in on whether that’s the proper course of action. That’s the constitutional budget process. Withholds are not subject to being overridden. If the governor can withhold even when there are funds available, it becomes a de facto unchecked line item veto which usurps the legislature’s budgetary role.
What All This Really Means
First, House Dems are generally happy to have found a way to be relevant again. And Lampe is something of a hero within her caucus. The bad news for Dems is that find that relevance, they’ve had to join up with the House Republicans against their own governor.
But this reveals the second truth – Nixon and the House Dems have a lot less in common than they did three months ago. Those seventeen seats lost by Democrats in the November election were rural “Nixon” Democrats.
So aside from the resentment of Nixon abandoning them in the last election cycle, there’s also an ideological distance. They feel less ideological kinship with the governor. The Dems left in the House are mostly liberal. The governor is pretty conservative.
Third, we finally now see what the House Dems have left in their arsenal. It’s not a lot, but it’s something: the veil of bipartisanship, or conversely, the label of partisanship. When they join with House Republicans, they add the force of bipartisanship to challenges to Nixon. When they side with Nixon, they tag Republicans with the appearance of acting in a partisan manner.
And what this action means is that they’ll play it both ways this year depending on where their own interest lay. They’re not in the tank for Nixon.
And
Reinforcing this perception, the House Dems voted for the new Rules. As far as anyone can tell it was the first time in Missouri history where the vote on Rules was unanimous as it usually splits on partisan lines.
Tilley’s Head Start
Speaker Steve Tilley filed his January quarterly report ahead of the deadline. It showed $798,082 on-hand. He raised $198,530, and spent $30,476. The largest contribution was $100,000 from the Missouri Leadership Committee. His ally, former state representative Tom Burcham, is the treasurer of that committee.
The $800k cash on-hand will make other Republicans think twice before entering into a primary run against Tilley for Lieutenant Governor in 2012.
Quip-Lite
Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future have started running radio ads in the escalating war of CWIP-lite.
But aside from the external noise, the inside baseball game – and we’re first inning here – has started inauspiciously for the pro-nuke folks as Sen. Mike Kehoe’s bill to allow recouping permit costs was sent to Sen. Jason Crowell’s committee. Crowell was an enthusiastic killer of CWIP last time around.
Emptying the In-Box
Did you know that Sam Panettiere, KC’s new leg liaison, is the grand nephew of former longtime MO State Senator the late Henry Panettiere?
Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates named Vanessa Crawford executive director,. Crawford’s previously works for Joan Bray and Rebecca McClanahan. She takes the place of Jennifer Rafanan.
Rep. Jake Zimmerman won the Democratic nomination for St. Louis County Assessor. He’s the heavy favorite in that race.
And
The voting process for a new RNC chair is today. Twitterfeed should start clogging around 2pm?...?
Lobbyist Principal Changes
From the Pelopidas website:
Grant Cale added Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
Lisa Christie added Burch and Associates.
Diane Felix added Popular Bluff Regional Medical Center, and Health Management Associates Inc.
Polsinelli Shughart added The University of Kansas Medical Center, Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp, and Scientific Games International.
Mike Lodewegen added Missouri State Auditor.
Flotron and McIntosh added Pennington Seed Inc, Garnett Wood Products Co, Ozark Hardwood Products
John Merrigan and Richard Morrell added University of Central Missouri.
Wayne Pacelle and Dane Waters added the Humane Society of the United States.
Lowell Pearson added Asurion Corporation.
Marc Scheessele added St. Louis University.
Trent Watson added the Rhoads Company and Missouri Association of Health Plans.
Bridgette Williams added Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City.
Rodney Boyd deleted Blackboard Connect Inc, Patients First Health Care LLCm Lafayette Acquisitions LLC, Correctional Medical Services, Walgreen Co, Schaeffler Group USA Inc, and NTI Group Inc.
$5k+ Contributions
Save Kansas City Committee - $12,000 from US Bank.
Citizens for a Stronger St. Louis - $10,000 from Laclede Gas.
Birthdays
Today Margaret Donnelly turns 57.
Saturday former Rep Esther Haywood turns 71. Also celebrating Saturday – Virvus Jones and Les Sterman.
Sunday Rep. Mary Still turns 57.
MOScout Schedule
Martin Luther King Day Monday means no state legislature and no MOScout. See you Tuesday.