Last week the Senate passed a budget nearly identical to the one they passed on July 1 - vetoed only hours later by Governor Brewer.
Why did they pass the same budget twice?
Because they were unable, once again, to get the votes needed from the Senate Republican caucus to pass the "new" part of this budget - the sales tax referral, major tax cuts for corporations and the rich, a suspension of voter protected initiatives for schools and young kids, and a TABOR-plus provision that prohibits natural state growth.
You may recall that the Senate has been trying to pass this particular bill for nearly a month. They are unable to do so - Senators Gorman and Gould won't vote for a budget that even hints at raising taxes (the referral to the ballot), and Senator Carolyn Allen won't vote for a budget that makes massive cuts to education, health care, and social services while giving away major tax breaks to corporations and the rich.
They've been trying to woo a few Senate Democrats (first they went for Hale, then Miranda, then Alvarez), all to no avail. Now Senate President Burns plans to send the budget up to the Governor without the tax and ballot measures.
This means that they will send an ALMOST IDENTICAL budget to the Governor as the one they sent on July 1st that she vetoed.
Rumor is that she may sign it this time, and justify it by blaming Democrats for not working with her office.
I am trying hard not to laugh as I write this. Here's a rundown of our attempts to get 5-party talks (where D and R leadership from the House and the Senate sit down with the Gov and come up with an agreement):
January 21 - Brewer takes office
January 26 - House Democrats propose budget solution to 2009 shortfall, call for bipartisan talks
March 30 - House Democrats propose budget solution to 2010 shortfall, call for bipartisan talks
May 1 - House Democrats send a letter to Brewer urging her to call all 4 leadership teams to her office for bipartisan talks
May 28 - House and Senate Democrats release joint proposed budget solution to 2010 shortfall, call for bipartisan talks
June 1- Brewer releases her budget proposal for 2010. Democrats meet with her to be briefed.
June 3 - House Democrats send a letter to Brewer responding to her budget proposal and again, call for bipartisan talks
June 30 8:30 pm - Brewer calls House and Senate Dem leadership teams to her office to talk about a compromise (3.5 hours before deadline!). Talks end when Democrats urge Governor to call Republican leadership to join the discussion and she doesn't bring them to her office. (We were calling for 5-party talks again... only way to get a bipartisan solution!)
August 11 - House Democrats send another letter to Brewer urging her to call 5-party bipartisan talks.
To date, the Governor has NOT ONCE called all 5 parties together. NOT ONCE.
So - where does the blame lie? We have made overture after overture for bipartisan talks - in writing, in person, to her staff, to her staff's friends, you name it. We have tried it.
Governor Brewer hasn't shown any willingness to work with Democrats. It's sad, because our state is suffering. She has the right to make any decision she wants - sign this budget, or veto it again.
But blaming Democrats? Really? I mean, really? Really?
