March 12, 2003

Lawmakers Weigh In on Budget

Here's a running roundup of state lawmakers' reactions to Gov. Phil Bredesen's budget proposal:

State Sen. Bill Clabough, a Republican, tells the Maryville Times the Bredesen budget will be a tough vote for legislators, and that "TennCare continues to be a hole we can't fill up." In recent years, Clabough has been a ready vote for the income tax. back in 1999 Clabough stood ready to vote for the income tax bill in a Senate committee, a crucial step toward passing one, according to a Tom Humphrey column in Tennessee Politics back in 1999. But he considers voting for a balanced budget that doesn't raise taxes to be a tough vote.

State Rep. Chris Newton, a Republican, tells the Daily Post-Athenian that he favors the budget's spending reductions, but is concerned by the reduction in state-shared taxes - the revenue that goes to cities and counties.
Elected officials from different parts of the state are already lobbying against that reduction, and "telling us exactly what taking 9 percent of state-shared revenues means to them,” Newton said. “Right now, there is no one presenting an alternative. But I can tell you, after the next few weeks there will be some other ideas presented.” Newton also said this: "It is very difficult for me to support taking state-shared revenues away from our local governments.”

In the same newspaper article, State Sen. Jeff Miller, a Republican, said he felt “vindicated” after Bredesen’s budget presentation to the General Assembly Monday night. Miller introduced a budget bill last year that included a 4 percent across-the-board cut in state spending. “I was ridiculed and told I was out in left field,” Miller said. “Here we are this year and 9 percent is palatable in the Legislature. So it is funny how things can turn around with a new head coach.”

The Citizen-Tribune in Hamblen County is reporting on a nice impact there from the Bredesen budget: county commissioners are being encouraged to hold the line on spending. Hamblen County Executive David Purkey says asking for more money during such lean economic times would essentially be a waste of time, the paper reports. "Everybody needs to be put on notice .... It's not going to happen this year," says Purkey, who says he refuses to submit an unbalanced budget to the commission and will propose a budget with the assumption county government will lose $281,000 in state-shared funds. "We've just chosen not to whine about it. Everyone needs to recognize we're losing money, we're not gaining money. We're losing money in a slow economy."

State Rep. Glen Casada, a Republican (and my representative) has emailed an update on the budget, in which he says this: "There are only three states in the Union who are not suffering from budget problems. When we solve TennCare, Tennessee will be the fourth state. Our economy is strong, we have good job growth and a rising personal income level. We live in a very desirable state. ... I support the across-the-board cuts, and would like to see us be very cautious on any new expenditures. I don't like, but will support the governor's cutting of local funds. It was not our local officials that got the state in financial trouble, and thus we as state legislators should not expect the cities and counties of Tennessee to carry the responsibility or expect them to pass on the tax increases."