The House Republican Caucus has written Speaker Jeremy Gillam urging him to proceed with votes on budget bills. Democrats had asked for a delay until the Medicaid expansion issue was settled. That settlement appears somewhere in the future, particularly thanks to recent Little Rock School developments.
The delay wastes time and adds expense, Bragg says. Perhaps. But passing a bunch of appropriation bills that can’t be funded if the Medicaid expansion fails is also a waste of time.
Bills passed now are for the year beginning July 1.
But you need 75 votes. A bill to appropriate money for the constitutional offices and courts failed in House today 68-3 with 21 voting present. Democrats say they don’t want to authorize paying themselves until bigger issues are settled.