House budget to the floor Wednesday
The House ran it's budget through the Finance and Appropriations committees Tuesday. Next stop is the House floor session that will begin at 2 p.m.
Update: You can click here to see the post-surgery bill. (Thanks to Mr. Cohen for the heads up.) Update: Click here for the updated money report.
On the floor, the honorables can run amendments to the bill, so if you tune into session you'll hear folks trying to make some more tweaks and tucks.
If you're interested in some Triad-centric highlights, you can check in on Rockingham's horse complex here or civil rights museum money here.
I'm not going to try to recount the entire day of slicing and dicing here. The AP's Gary Robertson has a good take on why Gov. Easley is unhappy with the House budget. Update: And Miss Laura has more on the day at the tavern.
I do have a couple bits of audio to share, though.
Rep. Pat Hurley, a Randolph County Republican, had set out to run an amendment that would restrict the growth of lottery commission salaries. Specifically, it would keep any lottery commission employee from getting paid more than the governor.
You may recall that lottery commission employees have been in line for a 5 percent race at a time when most state employees are looking at 1.5 percent. That idea got some unfavorable attention.
Click here to listen to Hurley pitch her amendment and some debate.
Rep. Bill Owens, a Democrat and Rules Chairman, and Rep. Alma Adams, an Appropriations Committee Chairman and Greensboro Democrat, combined to talk her out of the amendment.
"I've made my point and I think you see that," Hurley said.
Fair enough, but I'm not so sure that amendment wouldn't have passed the committee. Liberal Democrats and Republicans aren't enamored with the lottery and might have taken the opportunity to tweak the state's gambling enterprise.
Heck, Hurley didn't even have the best quote on the amendment. That came from Rep. Joe Kiser, a Republican and former sheriff who planted tongue firmly in cheek to quip:
"By paying these high salaries we're doing nothing but taking money away from the children."
Hurley brought it back later as a study of salary grades across state government. You can click here to listen to her fully back down.
My bet: someone else tries to run the lottery limitation bill Wednesday on the House floor.
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