We got the Senate Republican budget bill passed today, as expected, with a party line vote of 30 to 20. Our leadership put a lot of work into this bill and the Republican members of the Senate stayed the course. The Democrats decided to put just about every member of their caucus up to speak on the bill. Some of the outlandish things said by a few of them were unethical and dishonest. I don’t mind a different point of view, but to make up numbers of people that would lose jobs and children that would be out in the street, went beyond the reasonable boundaries of what I have heard in the 2 years that I’ve been in the Senate. I don’t like the disposition of every budget line, but I do like the reduction in spending, (it could be even more as far as I’m concerned), the fact that there is no new or increased tax, the fact that we did not use any of the “Rainy Day” fund and the fact that we used the federal “Stimulus” money judiciously. The Administration went on the offense this week. The Governor first blasted the caucus, calling us “nuts” then had at least some of his departments send out very dubious information about the bill to the people and institutions they deal with, i.e. schools, tourism agencies, etc. Again, having a difference of opinion is expected, being dishonest about the facts goes beyond this issue and damages the working structure of our state government. It should not be tolerated.
- John
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