Posted on 06/09/2014 8:57:38 AM PDT by csvset
How could Democratic state Sen. Phil Puckett's resignation move the budget and Medicaid impasse? Counting noses, it means what was a 23-17 Senate majority (20 Democrats, three Republicans) for a budget that includes a provision for tapping Affordable Care Act dollars to extend health insurance for low income Virginians now stands at 22-17.
But it also means what was a 20-20 split, with Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam a tie-breaker on everything except the budget, is now a 20-19 GOP majority.
So, look for movement this week to bring the state Senate back into session (it takes nine to call the Senate back, per section II, rule 5 of the state Senate).
Look then for a procedural or parliamentary motion to call the House of Delegates' budget bill -- which doesn't include any measure to expand health care coverage -- to the floor of the Senate.
It's currently pending before the Senate Finance Committee.
To get budget negotiations with the House started, there is a fairly good chance that GOP supporters of health care expansion -- state Senators Emmett Hanger, R-Mount Solon, John Watkins, R-Powhatan, and Walter Stosch, R-Glen Allen --would vote to move the bill to the floor.
That'd mean a 20-19 vote to bring the bill out. (Actually, with state Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax out of the country, it'd be a 20-18 vote) At that point, they might well vote for the state Senate bill that includes expansion. If Democrats stick with them, that means a bill goes to the House with a 22-17 vote (21-17 if Howell can't fly back to Richmond in time).
Democrats, in other words, would have to vote against that measure to keep the budget locked up.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailypress.com ...
can someone translate this?
I can’t translate it but I read that Gov. Terry Mcaulif is very upset about the whole thing . That makes me happy .
Well then that’s got to be a good thing then. :-)
I just read the article again and it is horribly written by an insider who assumes everyone knows the ins and outs of Virginia’s political system.
I still don’t understand how a democrat resigning helps and why would he resign? Or did he already resign so they are trying to act before he leaves?
I did a bing search for Pucket Resignation and this article is much better at explaining what’s going on:
OK, I read the piece.
Why is there not a replacement for the resigned senator that could be a Democrat and restore the status quo?
A special election needs to be held. The governor can’t appoint someone to fill the empty seat. This guy is from a conservative part of Va, so the Repubs have a good shot of winning this seat anyway.
Repubs control lower house. Dems had a tie in the Senate, but with Lt. gov’s vote, they win. Gov. McAwful wants to add Medicaid to the budget, and the Repubs don’t, so there has been an impasse in getting the budget through.
Now, Repubs control both houses and can pass a budget without Medicaid. This puts McAwful in the position of signing the budget without Medicaid or vetoing the budget and shutting down the government. A win-win for the Repubs.
Other Virginians says this district is conservative, so the chance for Rat voter fraud is probably limited.
Read this and then ask yourself????
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