Budget Deadlock Resolved – GOP’s Local Projects Cut Back

The state budget is back on track after being put on hold for three hours Wednesday while House Republicans and Democrats negotiated out some “local projects–” sometimes called “pork barrel projects-” that the Senate had slipped in.

Former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh asked the House Finance Committee to kill five projects added by the Senate. After some Republicans voted with the minority Democrats, GOP leaders shut down the committee and took the issue behind closed doors.

They emerged late Wednesday afternoon and stripped out the controversial amendments.

House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh said Democrats brought the motions to kill the projects because a gentleman’s agreement had fallen through.

“They were brought because of what we understood to be an agreement between the houses…was that we, you know, there weren’t going to be any local projects. Now, that is not to say those local projects were not worthy.”

Several of the projects could be thought of as regional, not local.

House Republican Leader Gerald McCormick agreed, even as he read the list of dead projects. He regretted one in a state park.

“It’s a historical interpretation pilot project in Parker’s Crossroads, affecting only that area. Even though it’s a historical thing, and has some greater significance, we decided that was a local thing that needed to come out.”

Minutes later the appropriations bill was approved by the Finance Committee and moved toward the House floor.

The appropriations bill and other budget bills could be acted on by the two houses of the General Assembly on Thursday.

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The appropriations bill, HB 3835 Sargent & McCormick/ SB 3768 Norris is not really the full budget for the state, but the spending plan. Several other bills also have to be passed, particularly those dealing with taxes that generate the money to pay for the spending.

The approved appropriations bill was already on the Senate agenda although the Senate didn’t take it up on Wednesday.

Passage of the budget is the only job the state constitution requires of the General Assembly. Traditionally the legislature passes the budget and goes home the same day.