Back to Montgomery

By Jennifer J. Foster

Good Tuesday morning, Alabamians! We’re waking up to a mixed bag today.

The bad news is, your state legislators are back in Montgomery for special session this afternoon.

The good news is, with any luck, they won’t be there long.

You’ll remember that this is all because half of Alabama’s state senators got into a “chicken” match (their words, not mine) with the other half of Alabama’s state senators regarding the education budget; the egomaniacal showdown continued until the regular session expired at midnight Tuesday.

The Birmingham News brings us this special session primer, which is one part history and one part prognostication. Some excerpts:

``My prediction is that we will pass a budget, and I believe we can do it in five days,“ said Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, who chairs the Senate committee that drafts the education budget.

Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, agreed. ``I don’t think we’ll leave there this time without a budget,“ said Waggoner, leader of the 13 Senate Republicans.

Oh, good. My only question is, if they “believe” they can do it in five days, why couldn’t they do it in the 60 they’ve already had?

``I think there’s a greater sense of urgency among the members now to pass a budget,“ Waggoner said. ``I think you’ll see both sides a lot more willing to come to the table and compromise.“ Sanders said, ``We had folks who killed the budget, and of course, they took the whole Senate and Legislature off the cliff. But they went off the cliff too. I think those who killed it have had some public reaction.“

Those comments are just too hilarious to be serious. “A greater sense of urgency?” Than failing your constitutional duty during regular session? Let’s hope so!

“Those who killed it” have had public reaction? You’re the education budget chairman, Sen. Sanders. I think you all should be replaced. How’s that strike you for “reaction?”

And what was all this about, anyway? What could have possibly been so egregious a difference in policy that it caused the entire budget passage process to collapse?

The education budget … would have spent $6.36 billion from the Education Trust Fund, a drop of $369.5 million, or 5.5 percent, from this year’s record spending.

Trust fund spending would have been cut $118.6 million, or 2.9 percent, for K-12’s foundation program, its main source of money, and by $151.6 million, or 10.9 percent, for universities …

On Monday, Sanders and other senators allied with Paul Hubbert, executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association teachers’ lobby, faced off against Sen. Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega, and others allied with Malcolm Portera, chancellor of the University of Alabama System, and contract lobbyist Joe Fine, whose clients include foundations for the University of Alabama and Auburn University …

Senators couldn’t agree whether to give public universities an additional $25 million.

Oh, OK … $25 million out of $6.36 billion. With a B.

The last time I checked, “million” was a lot less than “billion.“ Does “million” mean something else in Montgomery?

Gov. Bob Riley said superintendents have fired some teachers because of uncertainty over next year’s spending levels. Riley wants a budget passed soon so superintendents can rehire people before they sign on to work in other states.

``Every senator should look at every teacher in the state of Alabama and every kid and apologize for what happened last week,“ Riley said.

Understatement of the year. How about apologizing to the taxpayers of Alabama, who are going to have to put up at least $110,000 for this nonsense?

``It’s kind of like a game of chicken, and neither side blinked,“ said Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe.

Chicken.

A $6.36 billion game of chicken, Barron says.

Unbelievable.