Still No Budget as Special Session Comes to an End

much like the one the Governor vetoed at the end of the regular session. 

 

“So under this budget, you have a proposed possibility of half the nursing homes and hospitals in the state closing, us not having a medicaid program, the federal court taking over the prisons, and no troopers on the highway,” said political analyst Steve Flowers.

 

Later in the day, the House voted down the budget.

But they still have one more day to get a budget passed.

And if the Governor vetoes that one…he will then have to call another special session. 

 

“They have time to override his veto. They can say we won’t raise any new taxes. We won’t do anything, just cut everybody. And if the governor waits until September, where we only have 2 weeks before the budget year begins, they can’t override his veto. The state has to begin the year with no budget,” said Flowers.

 

Lawmakers voted down Gov. Bentley’s call for 302 million dollars in taxes. Instead, the senate passed a 200 million dollar cut to state agencies.

Governor  Bentley has made it very clear that he won’t approve any budget with steep cuts to the state. And as time is running out, it doesn’t seem anyone is willing to budge.

 

“So we are getting into some pretty treacherous ground here and it’s a game of ‘chicken’ or ‘Russian Roulette’ or whatever you want to call it between the Governor, the legislature, and also within the legislature,” said Flowers.