By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – "Right now this bill is not good enough for Texas," said Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) of HB 1 after members of the House Appropriations Committee and Appropriations subcommittees laid out the general appropriations bill before the full House Monday evening.
With 484 amendments to the bill pre-filed by last Saturday's deadline, Coleman began the late Monday evening and early Tuesday morning process by bringing up the first amendment.
Coleman's amendment would have deleted the enacting clause from the bill. He preceded his eventual withdrawal of his amendment with a statement that sounded more like a personal privilege speech than laying out of an amendment.
Coleman told fellow House members he has been involved in the appropriations process in previous sessions and is aware that many say the budget bill is the only bill the legislature has to pass, thus noting its importance.
The Houston Democrat said writing a budget is "a difficult challenge in good times," and added that the economic times the state is facing now create an even bigger challenge.
Coleman said the 78th Legislature has been a "tough, unprecedented session full of change and challenge," including operating under a new House speaker, with a huge freshman class and a "daunting" budget deficit. He said the session got off to a rocky start with the partisan debate over HB 4, legislation that would provide sweeping tort reform in Texas.
"Many didn't like the tone of that debate," he said. Some didn't like the Houston representative's own tone, he said, for which he apologized.
"But I will not apologize for my beliefs and my values. I will not apologize for fighting for those who have no voice."
While he said he both appreciates and applauds the efforts of Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Talmadge Heflin (R-Houston) and the other committee members, Coleman said because the bill does not contain much fat, "we will be debating priorities." He enumerated some of those priorities as being teacher health insurance, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, needs of the elderly and the frail and funding for children with special needs.
"We do not have enough revenue to cover our current needs," he said. "My hope is that this body will debate priorities."
The Houston Democrat said he is in hopes that debate will not deteriorate to partisan argument and said he is hopeful members "will debate on the merits of the argument, not on the party of the author."
"Even though I do not like this bill, I trust the process," he said. And with that, Coleman withdrew his amendment.
The amendment process was preceded by the usual questioning of processes and procedures and wants versus needs.
Rep. Jim Dunnam (D-Waco), whose point of order during debate on HB 4 was sustained and sent the bill back to committee in a "moral victory," stepped up to the plate early to let the GOP-dominated House know he would not go quietly into this night either.
Dunnam repeatedly asked Heflin questions regarding the dollars in the bill and how much of the proposed revenue in the bill was contingent on other legislation that is currently moving through the process.
Heflin explained, "This process is different. We will literally write the budget in conference (committee). To fund the things we want to fund will require more money than the comptroller certified at $54 billion." But he pointed out that HB 7 and HB 1 also have identified ways to "gain efficiencies."
When Dunnam asked if the $54 billion certified is "what we have to spend," Heflin responded, "Not necessarily," noting that other bills are working their way through the system. He said much of that legislation that could provide additional funding has not passed yet.
Dunnam repeatedly asked how much of the $58.6 billion in the bill is contingent on passage of other legislation this session.
Heflin explained that by Dunnam's standards, the legislature cannot use the money saved in HB 7 (the emergency spending bill that balances the budget through the remainder of the current biennium). "By my standards," he said, "we use it because it's in the process."
While Dunnam argued that the current budget is $7 billion short of matching the existing services budget for the last biennium, Heflin disagreed. "We have restructured state government in such a way that we don't need that much."
That restructuring included asking state agencies to cut spending for the remainder of the biennium by 12.5 percent.
Rep. Ray Allen (R-Grand Prairie) likened the House's proposed budget process to a family buying a new car. First, he said, a determination must be made as to how much money the would-be car buyer has to work with. He said first his wife or partner (likened to the Senate) would have to agree to the purchase. Next the banker (likened to the state comptroller) would have to say how much money is available. Then there might be budget negotiating and adjusting to allow for the purchase.
"Then we try to determine what we thought we had to work with. It hasn't materialized, but we haven't written the check yet."
"We're a long way from writing the check," said Heflin as the long process of hearing amendments continued.