Posted on 08/02/2005 9:13:10 PM PDT by AMTRepub
Aug 2, 2005 : 9:26 pm ET
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Democrats worked Tuesday to settle differences over pay raises, cigarette taxes and a lottery so they can close a budget deal for state government.
House and Senate Democrats, who hold a majority in the Legislature, met privately for much of the past three days -- in caucus meetings, negotiation sessions and one-on-ones between House Speaker Jim Black and Senate leader Marc Basnight.
"We're getting closer on these things," said Black, D-Mecklenburg.
Legislative leaders want to have their final $17 billion spending blueprint for this year by late Wednesday. The new fiscal year began July 1 without a new plan in place.
Lawmakers have approved two temporary spending measures and accelerated negotiations in recent days because they don't want to have to pass another one to keep state government operating. The second one is set to expire Friday.
"We have produced some gains there in the course of the day and (Monday) night, but it is difficult to plow in," Basnight, D-Dare, told senators on the floor, using a farming analogy. "It's sort of stumpy and rooty as we go down the field."
Negotiations continue to stick on several issues, including the size of a cigarette tax increase and pay raises for state employees and teachers, according to Democrats in both chambers.
The lottery is also on the table, with the House and Senate in a tug-of-war over the specifics of what legislators will approve.
Black and Rep. Bill Culpepper, D-Chowan, the House Rules Committee chairman, said any budget provisions on a lottery only would lay out how money from a lottery would be spent, but only should a standalone lottery bill ultimately get passed.
Even though North Carolina is the only East Coast state still without a lottery, Black is running his own numbers game of sorts. Groups of House Democrats, ranging from four to 12 people, argue they are less apt to support a budget bill with or without certain provisions.
Some need higher salaries for rank-and-file employees to support a spending plan; others are adamant about a ban on lottery advertising with some lottery revenues going to college scholarships. Another group can't support any cigarette tax increase above 25 cents per pack.
"That's three handfuls," Black said. "We're talking to our members and seeing what they can agree to."
Republicans largely oppose the budget because of the higher taxes and fees expected, leaving House Democrats with a tenuous 63-57 majority.
Democrats have a 29-21 majority in the Senate, support a 35-cent cigarette tax increase and want teachers to get better raises.
"We believe we ought to give teachers a substantial increase," said Sen. Linda Garrou, D-Forsyth, one of the Senate's chief negotiators.
The House and Senate also are at odds over whether to give University of North Carolina system schools -- particularly N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill -- authority to raise a portion of their tuition rates on their own.
The Senate budget wanted to give the campuses that authority, but Culpepper said that idea "has no support in the House."
The two chambers have resolved at least one significant problem discovered in the past week involving N.C. Health Choice, the health insurance program for families who don't qualify for Medicaid.
A math error revealed that the state would run out of federal money to run the program sooner than expected, threatening the enrollment of 30,000 of the 140,000 children who receive the health insurance.
Negotiators agreed to solve the problem by shifting enrolled children ages 5 and under to Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor.
The decision will save money by spending federal matching money for N.C. Health Choice more slowly and by reducing physician reimbursement rates, said Rep. Edd Nye, D-Bladen, one of the leading House negotiators.
Easley, also a Democrat, wants legislative Democrats to pass a budget that is no more than 5.6 percent higher than the previous year's budget. Lawmakers and Easley are arguing over which items in the budget must fit within his self-imposed spending cap.
Easley would be asked to sign any bill into law. He has not threatened a veto, but Black said the governor had told him "he would not let us exceed the cap."
Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe, said if Easley loosened the spending cap, proposed cuts in teacher assistants, vocational education and Medicaid would be prevented. Fisher said she may be able to live with some restrictions, but not a complete ban, on lottery advertising.
"If we are able to get a lottery this session, they may find the governor is more willing to work on the budget," said Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe.
Fun? Do you get a kick out of watching leeches suck all the blood out of your body?
I think there are valid points on both sides.
On one hand, we know nothing about the budget (I work for the NCGA). The Republicans will likely be given 15 minutes to look over a 2-3 hundred page budget bill and hopefully all will vote no. Republicans need solidarity.
On the other hand, the Democrats are infighting and it makes them look weak. The Black caucus has been a major thorn in Jim Black's side as they want the moratorium (which has been on the calendar EVERY day this week but its pulled each and every day since the Dems dont have the votes to pass it), and a minimum wage increase. Neither are likely to pass as there are between 5 and 10 conservative Dems who are pro-death penalty and pro-business.
The rumors fly abound. Some say we'll be out by August 15-17. Others say Sep. 1. A few say we'll be here till way after Labor day. It all depends on when the Dems put enough pork in the budget to buy a few more votes.
However, the basics are the same -- Dems spend money, grow government, create more citizen victims, then blame Republicans. I see visages of that here -- especially in re "raising taxes, paying teachers more money, and raising minimum wage" -- three prime factors in the economic devastation of the state of CA.
Oh. I'm VERY anti-'gubmint" lottery. Experience? You betcha! Rob Reiner, CA. Dem inside deals with Indian Casino and how it gets used to build the "government machine" which benefits the preferred but excludes the majority. Watched that whole political/monetary deal be built. And how it dragged CA into near bankruptcy (to the benefit of the "players" and detriment of the vast majority of CA citizens). Now, the lottery/casino as political force in CA is a done deal. Governor Arnold has to play too.
That's why the Morgan sell-out was so disastrous, he provided bipartisan cover for every liberal policy Easley-Basnight-Black wanted passed and helped them escape electoral accountability.
I was pro-lottery until I heard that Weasley DID NOT want to include Powerball or Mega-millions(both of which require participating states to report all revenue from ticket sales), which was a sure sign that the lottery was another name for the Mike Weasley and cronies retirement fund. But what I want to know now is if us NON-state employees will get a raise to help with all the tax increases?
Sorry to bring you down, but they'll come up with a compromise and start it back up again. And probably tax and spend even more as a result.
I mostly saw low-income people buying the lottery tickets.
People are better off investing and or saving their money -- they are sure to either gain a return and/or their actual investment -- not so with the Lottery -- it's a fool's game.
Oh, let's see... President Bush's proposed SS Investment Programs? Or Gov Easley's.. money down a rathole Lottery program.. Oh what a decision.
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