CLT NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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The non-debate budget debate rule

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For Immediate Release
Contact:  Barbara Anderson

 

Thought I’d seen everything. But never even imagined that the House Democrats would vote to prohibit debate on budget items during the House budget debate. ???

I know there can be a vote to require additional spending increases to be offset with spending cuts; that has always seemed reasonable. There are non-budget issues that are ruled out of the scope: I recall the death penalty issue not being allowed. But local aid? Welfare spending? What ARE they going to debate? And WHEN are we going to see the conference committee report on welfare EBT card reform?

CLT no longer shares the Republican desire for more local aid, since we saw it used during the ‘90s to increase unfunded public employee liabilities. But it’s a legitimate debate and should be allowed. However, our larger concern, besides an unhealthy new precedent on non-debate, is EBT card reform. We would understand Chairman Dempsey’s argument that more votes would complicate the present conference committee if it hadn’t been so long since the original House vote.

Why not bring out the conference committee report NOW, before the budget debate, and then everyone can decide if more debate is needed on “entitlement” spending for FY 2015?

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Citizens for Limited Taxation  ▪  PO Box 1147  ▪  Marblehead, MA 01945  ▪  508-915-3665

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