Kentucky House Passes Budget Bill Loaded With Unconstitutional School Building Projects Dependent On DOA Slots Bill. The Circus Continues.
Read the entire story here, or excerpts below;
FRANKFORT — A House committee approved a budget late Monday afternoon to plug a nearly $1 billion shortfall that also included millions of dollars in school construction projects. The full House is expected to vote on the budget bill late on Monday.
One members of the House budget committee raised questions about how certain school projects were placed in the budget bill, suggesting that legislators who voted Friday for a proposal to allow slots at racetracks were unfairly favored.
Money generated from slot machines would be used for $1.1 billion in elementary, secondary and university projects, House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Friday, when the House approved the bill in a 52-45 vote.
But some of the schools that received money were not even the oldest schools in need of the most repairs — category four or category five schools. Rep. Jim Wayne, D-Louisville, asked why some of those schools - category three schools — were deemed worthy of replacing. Rep. Rick Rand, D-Bedford, said he didn’t know.
“I guess some legislators made their case better than others,” Rand said.
Wayne questioned whether the legislature could even deem what schools should be replaced. A Supreme Court case said that school funding had to be equal.
“This is blatantly unconstitutional,” Wayne said.
Rand and Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, disagreed. Moberly said the old system of rating schools did not work. The current budget bill makes the funding more equitable, Moberly said.
The school projects would not be funded if the Senate kills the video lottery bill. The House sent the video lottery bill to the Senate late Monday. Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, has said that he expects the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee will kill the measure.
On Friday, the Senate approved its own version of the state budget, which largely mirrored Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposal to deal with a projected $996 million shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The plan would spend more than $700 million in federal stimulus dollars and cut planned spending by $200 million.
– Beth Musgrave
Editor's comment: Now we know how the House was able to get the votes to pass the slots bill.
Good, ol' fashioned "back scratching, that may prove to be WORTHLESS if the Senate "deep sixes" the slots bill.
And if the Senate doesn't, it's likely a Court will find the school funding "SCHEME unconstitutional!
Oh, but the web they weave ... ".
FRANKFORT — A House committee approved a budget late Monday afternoon to plug a nearly $1 billion shortfall that also included millions of dollars in school construction projects. The full House is expected to vote on the budget bill late on Monday.
One members of the House budget committee raised questions about how certain school projects were placed in the budget bill, suggesting that legislators who voted Friday for a proposal to allow slots at racetracks were unfairly favored.
Money generated from slot machines would be used for $1.1 billion in elementary, secondary and university projects, House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Friday, when the House approved the bill in a 52-45 vote.
But some of the schools that received money were not even the oldest schools in need of the most repairs — category four or category five schools. Rep. Jim Wayne, D-Louisville, asked why some of those schools - category three schools — were deemed worthy of replacing. Rep. Rick Rand, D-Bedford, said he didn’t know.
“I guess some legislators made their case better than others,” Rand said.
Wayne questioned whether the legislature could even deem what schools should be replaced. A Supreme Court case said that school funding had to be equal.
“This is blatantly unconstitutional,” Wayne said.
Rand and Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, disagreed. Moberly said the old system of rating schools did not work. The current budget bill makes the funding more equitable, Moberly said.
The school projects would not be funded if the Senate kills the video lottery bill. The House sent the video lottery bill to the Senate late Monday. Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, has said that he expects the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee will kill the measure.
On Friday, the Senate approved its own version of the state budget, which largely mirrored Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposal to deal with a projected $996 million shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The plan would spend more than $700 million in federal stimulus dollars and cut planned spending by $200 million.
– Beth Musgrave
Editor's comment: Now we know how the House was able to get the votes to pass the slots bill.
Good, ol' fashioned "back scratching, that may prove to be WORTHLESS if the Senate "deep sixes" the slots bill.
And if the Senate doesn't, it's likely a Court will find the school funding "SCHEME unconstitutional!
Oh, but the web they weave ... ".
Labels: Democratism, Kentucky politics, Republicanism
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 5:15 PM
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