REDBLUE – Jere’s partly right on budget
Jere has it partly right on the politics of the state budget.
I think he is dead on in making the point that most Mississippians don’t much care much about the details of why we are at this stage in the process — three weeks before the start of the new fiscal year — without a budget. Most people just want the job done, and done six weeks ago.
But Jere falls prey to the temptation to buy into the Democratic party line on another point. He says Lt. Governor Phil Bryant is a “messenger” for Gov. Haley Barbour in the budget negotiations. That’s pure nonsense. The Governor and Lt. Governor agree on some points with respect to the budget, and disagree on others. And there are plenty of perfectly capable people working in the Governor’s office to convey Governor Barbour’s position to legislative negotiators on both ends of the Capitol.
In my view, the Senate and House leadership will very shortly hammer out a compromise agreement between themselves, and report to the Governor that they have a deal. He will then call them into session to adopt a budget, which both chambers will pass and send to the Governor’s desk. He will then either sign it or veto it. The two branches of government will have performed the duties assigned them, if considerably late.
Red Blue Blog
The Clarion-Ledger
6/9/9
