Tuesday, May 8th, 2007...6:30 am
Wait, Did Lopez Just Promise Not to Vote for Republican House Budget?
Eleven members of the legislature came down to Sunnyside High School for a forum to discuss the state budget. David Lujan, from Phoenix, gave a detailed explanation of the budget, in particular the differences between the House Republican budget and the Senate’s bipartisan budget.
Interestingly, the names of the three Democrats who voted for the House Republican budget were not mentioned. Well, one was at the very end.
Linda Lopez, worried that the purpose of the forum would be to “attack” her, requested that a letter be read on her behalf. The letter was read by Rolande Baker, head of the Sunnyside Education Association. Lopez stated that she didn’t think the Senate’s bipartisan budget would pass the House (although some observers have told me that it would if allowed an up or down vote, and it’s looking like the House budget will have trouble), so she chose to work with Speaker Jim Weiers and amend the House Republican budget. She takes credit for items like raises for state employees and more money allocated for teacher salaries, but neglects to mention that the amendments she supported also cut health benefits for state empolyees and facility budgets for schools. I wouldn’t expect her to mention that part though.
But, she has an interesting bit in the letter:
We stated several times when explaining our votes that we knew this was not the final budget - it would change significantly when the House and Senate went to the table to negotiate and that neither of us would vote for a final budget without some significant changes.
I find it hard to believe that Speaker Weiers would entertain amendments from people who haven’t committed to vote for his budget, but that’s what she says. So, can I read this as a commitment by her and Pete Rios not to vote for the Republican budget when it hits the floor? I mean, at least if it doesn’t have “significant changes”?
Well, lets wait and see how the actual floor vote comes down on this.
NB - There was no press at the forum. Eleven state legislators come down to discuss the most important issues before our state, but none of our media outlets thought it was worth covering? Hey guys, no high school football on Monday nights.
2 Comments
May 8th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
For those of you who didn’t see today’s (May
Tucson Citizen:
Napolitano slams Tucson Dems on deal
BLAKE MORLOCK
Tucson Citizen
Gov. Janet Napolitano blasted Tucson lawmakers Monday for signing onto a House Republican budget plan and giving it a bipartisan hue. She made her remarks during a Tucson Citizen Editorial Board meeting.
She said state Reps. Linda Lopez and Olivia Cajero Bedford undermined the game plan to let a bipartisan Senate deal drive the negotiations.
“They should never have cut a deal with (House Speaker Jim) Weiers,” Napolitano said. “If they were going to cut a deal, it should have been a good deal and this is a horrible deal.”
The House and Senate are promoting rival budgets, with the Senate version crafted with input from Republicans and Democrats and the House version crafted primarily by Republicans.
The House budget lacks appropriate funding for state Child Protective Services, K-12 education, teachers pay, the universities, child care and the Department of Corrections, Napolitano said.
Lopez and Cajero Bedford, both Democrats, have taken grief from fellow Democrats for a week, since signing on with Republican Weiers to move a budget from the Appropriations Committee to the floor.
Lopez countered that what the two Tucsonans and Rep. Pete Rios, D-Hayden, did moved the budget closer to the Senate version to get more money for state employees, teachers in particular.
Their vote in committee does not mean they will support the House budget as it stands, Lopez said.
“I believe that at the end of the day, it will be a better budget because we negotiated with the leadership,” Lopez said.
Lopez was brought on a few days before the deal was struck. The bipartisan Senate proposal was negotiated over a 10-week span with Democrats and Republicans crafting each line.
Lopez pointed out that if the Senate approves its budget, it would still have to get past House Republicans who have their own priorities, regardless of the Democrats’ game plan.
“They (Lopez’s critics) seem to be operating under the assumption that the Senate budget was going to come over to the House and pass as is,” Lopez said.
But Napolitano is still angry that Democrats cut a deal that legitimized Weiers’ claims of bipartisanship.
“They undercut their party and they undercut the budget negotiations,” Napolitano said.
House Majority spokesman Barrett Marson called the House process truly bipartisan.
“The speaker did work with Democrats,” Marson said. “He’s been working with Democrats the entire session. It is a bipartisan effort. (Democrats) are having input.”
May 8th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
I can’t stand Linda Lopez. Thank God she was finally cast out of the SUSD School Board! Next, we need to get her out of the Arizona Legislature! Lopez is a cold, heartless wench who thinks of nothing but her own personal political agenda and advancement. It’s disappointing that people don’t see her for the manipulative person that she truly is. Linda Lopez = bad for this community.
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