April 9, 2008 — FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Steve Beshear called the process dysfunctional. Rep. Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort, said it was dishonest. And House budget chairman Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, said the budget deal worked out Wednesday was the result of a “diabolical deal with the devil . . . selling out the children of this state and the teachers of this state for water and sewer projects.”
They were decrying the miserly budget passed by the General Assembly with the help of a deal brokered by Rep. Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, and Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, to restore a bunch of projects – mostly water and sewer – to secure votes from representatives of those districts where the projects will be built. But the harsh words, and the 21 Democratic votes in the House against the budget, were also an indictment of the budget-making process. Some like Moberly specifically railed against the power of Williams to dictate to the House in budget negotiations.
House Democrats see Williams as the bully of Frankfort. Some concede he’s a master of legislative and political chess, but they despise him and his ability to out-maneuver the House in budget negotiations. But they won’t beat him any time soon. In the end, they lack the courage to risk the ire of voters for refusing to pass a budget – even a budget they genuinely believe is a disservice to Kentucky.
Williams knows too many House Democrats are hooked on projects. As he correctly points out, the House can’t pass a budget without those projects. He knows that, and he knows the House leaders won’t call his bluff. He’s willing to take his team and walk out of budget negotiations, as he did yet again this year at the 13th hour. (Several of their self-imposed deadlines had already passed.) The House caved. As usual.
But then it appeared the budget wouldn’t pass the full House. House Republicans also wanted some projects and said they’d join Democrats, dissatisfied with funding for education and health and human services, and vote against it without something they could take back home. Enter Stumbo, who without consulting House leaders, met with Williams where they cooked up the deal that restored the projects – the same projects Williams assailed during the budget negotiations. After that, not a single House Republican voted against the budget.
Until House leaders are willing to back Moberly to the end, until they are willing to walk away without a budget rather than capitulate to Williams, nothing is going to change.
But there’s another problem. Kentucky elects 138 legislators, 100 in the House and 38 in the Senate. But in reality about five or six determine the budget every two years – and Williams dominates those. They do it behind closed doors during those free conference budget negotiations after the House and Senate pass different versions of the spending plan. Then rank and file members must vote on it as soon as it’s printed, often having little idea of what’s been inserted or removed during negotiations. And if they balk – well, they can easily be persuaded with a project. Or as one administration official put it: “for 30 pieces of silver.”
Ours is supposed to be a representative democracy. But very few Kentuckians get to choose who sets the course of the state every two years.
Beshear is correct. The process is dysfunctional. Sometimes it’s even dishonest and diabolical, as Graham and Moberly assert.
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com.
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