July 29, 2004
| TO: | CLA Members/ Systems/ Network Contacts |
| FROM: | Mike Dillon, Lobbyist Christina Dillon, Lobbyist |
| RE: | NEWS FROM THE CAPITOL |
BUDGET ON WAY TO GOVERNOR
About 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, the Senate passed the long-overdue State Budget and the various accompanying trailer bills to implement provisions of the Budget. The debate, which included several breaks for caucus meetings, lasted more than four hours because of inability to get the necessary 27 votes on a couple of the more controversial measures unrelated the Budget and the local government provisions. Once the Senate completed its business, and recognizing that the Legislature had missed its month-long summer recess because of the Budget stalemate, Senator President pro Tem John Burton announced that the Senators would not have to return to the Capitol until next Wednesday.
Yesterday, the Assembly discussions on the Budget were at least as controversial, if not more so, than the Senate. What was expected to be a relatively quick action on the budget and trailer bills, in order to allow a number of Democrats to attend the final days of Democratic Convention in Boston, turned into a marathon of debates and caucus meetings, lasting well into the evening before the Assembly eventually acted on all of the measures around 10:00 p.m. The Budget bill, for those who are interested, is SB 1113, and the bills dealing with the local government "deal," are SB 1096 and SCA 4. The provisions in SB 1096 and SCA 4 have not been changed since our report to on Tuesday. The Governor is expected to sign the Budget on Saturday.