| The Montana Senate finance committee has resolved the budget bills from eight to four, on the motions of Augusta Sen. John Cobb (R). The votes that both reduced the pack and restored budget levels to those adopted by the joint committees prior to the House emasculation were "mostly bipartisan."
Minority Leader Sen. Corey Stapleton (R-Billings) seems to feel left out of the process here:
Other Republicans on the committee were caught by surprise by the moves and suggested Senate Democrats had worked out the strategy behind closed doors.
Senate Minority Leader Corey Stapleton, R-Billings, asked Cobb whether he had spoken to Senate Democratic leaders about the plan. Cobb said he had.
"Is there some reason you haven't spoken to us?" Stapleton said to Cobb, an independent-minded senator. There was no response.
Could there be a reason why Sen. Stapleton was left out? It might be the fact that the Republicans openly declared war on the Governor and the Democrats, as the session began. Maybe it's because they have refused to consider compromising an inch to Democrats or sensibility throughout the session. Seriously, after the House leadership, with at least tacit support from Sen. Stapleton, brokered a closed door deal to subvert a thirty year old process--let alone the 11,000 or so constituents, whose testimony was disregarded--it is a pretty tall order for Democrats and reasonable Republicans to trust the Republican leadership.
Senate President Cooney apologized for any "out of the loop" feelings that may have been caused, but can we really blame the Senate for trying to take the last available rational action? I certainly can't.
That aside, Sen. Stapleton candidly raises an important issue:
Stapleton said he had no problem with the Senate committee doing what it was going to do, but he called on the Senate to take "the higher ground" instead of rushing through the process and risk making mistakes.
"I would just ask that we slow down so we don't do just as the House did," Stapleton said, later objecting to the Senate committee making the changes in "such a hurried method."
Stapleton said he didn't want the Senate to show disrespect to the House.
Without adopting the bad ideas that the House has lain before them, I am not sure that the Senate can tread around the Representatives' feelings. He is right, however, that Senate Democrats and reasonable Republicans should heed their own advice to the House. A hasty fix might be just as bad as the original hasty meddling. That said, none of the reported changes seem too outlandish. |
