Budgeting money and time
The full House is debating their budget bill today. Remember, the Senate has already passed its version, so this is the House’s idea how to spend $18.8 billion or so. At the end of the week, the two chambers will start negotiating their differences.
Representatives came into session sometime after 10:30 a.m. this morning (maybe closer to 11 a.m.), took an hour for lunch. They came back and passed a Flag Day bill, and then went back to debating and amending the budget bill ever since.
So far, no huge substantive changes have passed. I’ve heard no tell of any plans to try and run an amendment to bolster furniture market money (The House currently provides $750,000 to market the furniture trade show, the Senate provided $1.75 million) but it’s possible.
Speaker Jim Black said at the beginning of the day that he would let House members debate late into the night and on into tomorrow if they really want.
“You can have it your way,” he said.
So far, he’s kept his word. I’ve not heard him make anything that really smacked of cutting off debate.
Update1: (5 p.m.) The first big change to the bill came by way of an amendment put forward by Rep. Hugh Holliman of Davidson County. His amendment sets aside a $1 million reserve to create and high risk insurance pool.
I hear you...what now?
The state is considering creating an insurance pool for folks who have health problems that make them uninsurable (or really expensive to insure) but private insurance standards. This money would provide an initial allocation to that account. My guess is that it is probably not all of what would be needed, but makes the item eligible for discussion during the conference committee.
Update 2:(6:15 p.m.) Well, the House passed its budget, finally, on a 92 - 26 vote. They'll vote again tomorrow and there may be even more debate or amendments, but you’re not going to see to many changes in that final vote total.
Most, if not all, of the "no" votes (I don't have a tally sheet yet) came from Republicans, who say that it sets the stage for future deficits.
"I don't think I've ever been here when I haven't heard it's the best education budget ever," said Rep. John Blust, a Guilford County Republican, launching into the problems he foresaw. Earlier in the day, Blust had tried to offer an amendment but was shot down on a technicality.
"Let's look at this as a marathon, let's look out for the schools in 2008 and 2009," Blust said toward the end of his speech, protesting the growth in the state budget.
If you can’t stand to watch the hockey game tonight and are just dying to sort through the gory details:
- Click here for a really big PDF of the budget bill itself.
- Click here for a really big PDF of what’s known as the money report on the budget. It lists most of the money changes in the budget from last year to this year.
G'night.