Appropriations Comm. At Work
Photo by Steve Kotchko
Posted 3/29/10
Despite all the talk from Democratic and Republican leaders at the start of the 2010 legislative session that this year would be different from last year’s contentious session that dealt with a multi-billion dollar deficit, the story is just not developing that way.
Instead of a new spirit of cooperation that could help all lawmakers in their drive for reelection, legislators seems to be singing that 80’s pop hit by the J. Geils Band “Love Stinks.”
Things were so bad at one point early last week that rumors swirled around the State Capitol that Democrats were fighting among themselves. Some Senate Democrats said privately they could not get the more liberal House Democratic caucus to consider added budget cuts, so they were determined to pass a deficit mitigation bill on their own. Since every bill needs Senate and House approval, such as move would be fruitless.
By week’s end Democratic leaders appeared at a hastily called news conference to say they were in agreement on a deficit-fighting plan. “I’ve never been on a separate track,” said House Speaker Christopher Donovan (D-Meriden). “People speculate and make rumors around here, but we’ve been working on the budget and put it together,” he said.
The top Senate Democratic leader Donald Williams accused Republicans of the rumor mongering about alleged Democratic infighting. “I would like to see the Republicans join us instead of standing on the sidelines throwing rocks,” he said.
House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero (R-Norwalk) laughed at the supposed Democratic unity stance. He claimed their action was just a “p-r ploy” to erase negative publicity about dissension in the ranks. “They were embarrassed, they got a lot of bad press, and they needed to do some damage control,” he claimed.
The “bonding” action didn’t last long. As the Senate prepared to take up the Democrats bill late Friday night, Republican Gov. Jodi Rell said her analysts had inspected the package and didn’t like what was in it. Result? Rell said she’d veto the bill if it came to her desk. Disgruntled Senate Democrats pushed the bill through the chamber anyway, but not by a veto-proof majority.
That gave Donovan a way out. Instead of forcing liberals in his caucus to vote for a bill they didn’t really relish, and a bill that was going nowhere, the Speaker canceled a Saturday House session along with any debate and vote on the Senate’s valiant effort to erase the deficit. Again, where’s the love?
On March 23rd, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities sponsored a forum at the State Capitol complex, inviting legislative leaders to discuss aid to cities and towns and budget issues. Leaders usually “play nice” at such public events, but this time Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) and House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield) took the gloves off.
Merrill claimed Democrats are “trying to do the best we can” to erase the continuing state deficit, and added: “I think we’re not doing a bad job of it.” McKinney fired back: “Hogwash…we talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, but never act. We need a budget solution.”
The House Majority Leader, who was trying to keep a smile on her face, apparently had enough after those comments. “It’s a lot easier to criticize than to actually govern,” said Merrill. “When I start to hear a list of ideas from the ‘party of no’, then I’ll start to listen,” she concluded.
Republican Gov. Jodi Rell added some bitter herbs to the Capitol’s bubbling cauldron of trouble when she nominated ten new Superior Court judges, asking the legislature to confirm them. This move angered Democratic leaders of the Judiciary Committee that handles judicial nominations. Co-chair Rep. Michael Lawlor (D-East Haven) and others had urged Rell not to issue any new nominations until financial stress in the court system is back under control. Lawlor said Rell’s decision to do it anyway, was symptomatic of a lame-duck administration that is “chaotic and rudderless.”
The legislature’s Democrat-controlled Appropriations Committee provided more ammunition for bickering by adopting a package of changes to the state budget that adds $373 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1. “They actually increase spending—it’s mind boggling,” said McKinney.
Appropriations Committee co-chair Sen. Toni Harp (D-New Haven) defended the Democratic plan, saying it’s “complex”, but also “compassionate and fair.” As for the added expenditures, she claimed that was necessary to maximize federal aid. “You’ve actually got to spend to bring it in,” she explained.
The best evidence of growing dissension, not only between Democrats and Republicans, but among Democrats themselves, was the Appropriations vote on the budget adjustments. Democrats hold a big majority on the Committee, but the budget bill passed on a vote of 29 to 25, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans to vote “no.”
On the surface, renewed wrangling could be attributed to election year grandstanding and finger-pointing as the parties prepare to debate on the campaign trail. However, in some past legislatures, Democrats and Republicans actually worked together on initiatives and legislation in election years. The thinking behind such action was that all lawmakers were cast in the positive light of accomplishment as they prepared to face the voters.
That was then, and this is now. Apparently there’s nothing to be gained politically by cooperation in the name of good government, or as the J. Geils Band put it so well: “This thing they call love, it’s gonna make you cry. One thing’s for sure—love stinks!”