Friday, May 28, 2010

Leaders meet on budget, but special session likely to continue Saturday

This from Bluegrass Politics:

House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President David Williams met privately for about an hour Friday afternoon in an attempt to work out differences between their two chambers on a state budget bill.

Stumbo said after “the very productive” meeting that he was more optimistic that the legislature could enact a budget bill, but he said the final vote on it might not come until Saturday.

He noted that it could take 12 hours to print an amended budget bill before lawmakers voted on it.

“The odds that we won’t have to go into next week are very good. I can’t promise that we won’t have to go at least into tomorrow because it does take about 12 hours to print for enrolling and engrossing,” he said. “But we are making significant progress.”

Referring to the Senate's premature evacuation from Frankfort during the regular session Stumbo warned that,
"If the Senate should approve a budget bill later Friday and then adjourn, putting he House in an accept-it-or-reject-it position, we won’t have a budget.”
He added: “Keeneland is not running today so I have hopes they will stay around for awhile.”

Williams reacted with pomposity saying Stumbo's comments were “pejorative, outrageous and vitriolic statements.” He claimed those statements are “rolling off our back like water.” Then to prove it, Williams implied that Stumbo wasn't reading the bill the Senate sent to the House.

Just another day in Frankfort. Maybe the legislature does its job. Maybe not. Stay tuned.

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