Budget runs into problems in Senate Approps
The Senate Appropriations Committee has recessed twice after starting today’s budget hearings hours later than they had planned.
The first recess was called after the committee voted down the first of 9 budget bills on the agenda. S1470 was rejected after a 4-4 vote. Sens. Pamela Gorman, Al Melvin, Russell Pearce and Sylvia Allen voting for it, while Sens. Paula Aboud, Ron Gould, Jack Harper and Steve Pierce voting against it.
After the vote, Gould called for a recess.
The panel then reconvened a few minutes later, but was interrupted again shortly thereafter when more Democratic members of the committee entered the room. Aboud was the only Democrat on the committee who was there for the first vote.
Seeing that the additional Democrat votes might sink the proposal again, another recess was called.
Gould, meanwhile, said he needs at least four hours to study the measures.
“I want to at least know what I am voting on — to know whether I can hold my nose and move the thing out Appropriations,” he said.
-Reporting by Capitol Times writer Luige del Puerto
