Different House budget writers accused Gov. Rick Perry this afternoon of: a) creating a misunderstanding; b) misrepresenting facts; and c) grandstanding for a national political audience.
At issue was a list Perry's office circulated to lawmakers this week that has a headline, "Additional FY 11 Cuts." It seemed to suggest eight ideas that would save the state a total of $1.5 billion fiscal year 2011, which ends on Aug. 31.
The list infuriated leaders of Appropriations, who called Perry's folks on the carpet.
After about three hours of grilling Perry's lobbyist, Ken Armbrister, and his budget man, Mike Morrissey, it turns out the list contained only about $170 million of new cuts that haven't already been assumed in a band-aid supplemental appropriation bill for this cycle and the next two-year budget. Of that "maybe" $50 million or so actually is available to be swept, easing deep cuts in GOP leaders' initial budget, said Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie.
Earlier, Pitts said he was astounded that Perry -- "within the hour" -- was telling a freshman lawmaker in a private huddle that there was an additional $1 billion or more in current-year cuts that hadn't been considered in House budget writers' plan for patching holes in the cycle. Pitts noted that more than $1.2 billion of spending cuts -- ordered by Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus -- were already ratified in the stopgap, or supplemental appropriations bill.
"My problem is we're trying to get a solution to our budget crisis," Pitts said. "And when the governor's out telling members something completely opposite, it doesn't help to pass the bill."
Morrissey replied, "I don't know what he's said within the hour, sir. I've been here."
Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/fireworks-in-appropriations-ov.html
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