'They failed'
Alabama legislators fulfilled their destiny: not doing their jobs.
Lawmakers didn't pass the $1.5 billion General Fund budget on Monday, the final meeting day of this year's regular session. That means Gov. Bob Riley will have to convene a special session, which could cost up to $430,000, according to The Birmingham News. Riley spokesman Jeff Emerson said it all: "The constitution really requires very little out of the Legislature: Pass two balanced budgets. They failed."
Riley, for his part, made two good decisions Monday. First, he vetoed the Legislature's education measures, which give teachers a badly needed raise but rely too heavily on one-time money to do so. Second, he rejected them in time for legislators to override his vetoes, realizing that a less-than-ideal education budget is better than no education budget at all.
On the bright side, state senators broke a filibuster by Jefferson County lawmakers and voted 32-3 to approve an $80 million allocation to expand the Mobile docks. The expansion will give Mobile a huge edge in its efforts to land a $600 million aircraft plant and other similar projects. Unlike our legislators' sad inaction on the General Fund budget, that's good for the state.
Lawmakers didn't pass the $1.5 billion General Fund budget on Monday, the final meeting day of this year's regular session. That means Gov. Bob Riley will have to convene a special session, which could cost up to $430,000, according to The Birmingham News. Riley spokesman Jeff Emerson said it all: "The constitution really requires very little out of the Legislature: Pass two balanced budgets. They failed."
Riley, for his part, made two good decisions Monday. First, he vetoed the Legislature's education measures, which give teachers a badly needed raise but rely too heavily on one-time money to do so. Second, he rejected them in time for legislators to override his vetoes, realizing that a less-than-ideal education budget is better than no education budget at all.
On the bright side, state senators broke a filibuster by Jefferson County lawmakers and voted 32-3 to approve an $80 million allocation to expand the Mobile docks. The expansion will give Mobile a huge edge in its efforts to land a $600 million aircraft plant and other similar projects. Unlike our legislators' sad inaction on the General Fund budget, that's good for the state.
posted by Alabamian at 5:05 PM
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