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DEL.ICIO.USThe risk-takers on the veto vote, and the definition of transmitted
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five House members voted against the motion to override Gov. Sonny Perdue’s veto of the mid-year budget on Friday.
They were:
— Jim Cole (R-Forsyth), a floor leader for the governor;
— Rich Golick (R-Smyrna), another floor leader for the governor;
— Mack Crawford (R-Concord), who was stripped of a House committee chairmanship this session;
— Austin Scott (R-Tifton), whom we’ve told you about below;
— And Rob Teilheit of Smyrna, the only Democrat to vote against the override. His wife works for Gov. Sonny Perdue. We’re guessing it was either the governor or the couch.
Incidentally, Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain) was the one floor leader of the governor who voted with House Speaker Glenn Richardson. Smith said he told Perdue first, and still has his job.
“He’s a good employer,” Smith said. So both Smith and Scott were allowed to vote the “wrong” way and obtained the forgiveness of their superiors. The world is a kind and gentle place.
Now, as to this issue of transmittal.
The senators we’ve talked to say they’re on firm ground here. Perdue has three days to transmit official news of his veto to the House and Senate.
The House is taking a more informal view of transmittal, citing reports in the public media, a press release issued in the governor’s name, and such.
But one senator we talked to said the House seems to be picking and choosing when it comes to definitions of transmission. Remember, he said, when the House first passed the ‘07 budget bill.
Cagle immediately told them he wanted to strip out all the pork. The House clerk was sent to fetch the budget bill back out of Senate hands. And House members said they could do so because it had so many hours to reconsider its transmittal of the bill.
Which was physically, if not officially, in Senate hands.
UPDATE: But because we’re not taking sides in this fight, allow us to include this tidbit from a real, live lawyer we found in the hallways, who actually read the state Constitution.
She said transmittal was only an issue between the governor and the chamber that originated the legislation. Which is the House. In other words, she said, that issue is none of the Senate’s affair. That chamber has no business deciding whether the House has been legally informed of the veto.
Comments
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By BlackWidow
April 20, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this
Teilheit’s wife used to work for Sonny. She left at the beginning of his second term.
By Glenn
April 20, 2007 6:17 PM | Link to this
Porker Perdue needs to be impeached!
I called his office this afternoon and spoke to three overly smug young assistants who each relayed the Governor has three days to formally transmit the official veto document and yes, each said they and the Governor were aware that Day #40 was ending at midnight tonight!
If HB 94 is not dealt with by midnight, the Governor will then have to call a special five day session. Another five days of per diem expense for the General Assembly will cost Georgia taxpayers between $200,000 to $225,000.
The Governor is being absurd and ridiculous. He vetoes HB 94 in front of cameras and reporters last night; then cutely “hides” the document since the constitution says the Governor has three days to officially transmit it.
Quit playing games Governor!
Quit wasting taxpayer’s money!
Send your little smug assistants home and walk your porker butt up the stairs and transmit the veto document to the LtGov so this absurd little farce can come to a quick end this evening!
By justin
April 20, 2007 6:47 PM | Link to this
Very mature comments Glenn. The name calling is cute. Grow up.
By Ben
April 20, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this
King Sonny is a funny guy - first he plays hide the sausage with the House and now he’s playing hide the trasnmittal document with Casey.
The Governor’s office must be a riot now that we’re down to 5 hours before “sine die” - which is an old latin term meaning: “screw you, see you in five days!”
By andy
April 20, 2007 7:12 PM | Link to this
this one is going to bite the governor. I can see the comments at the barber shop now, “sure do wish I had an extra 1/4 million around that I could pull a good joke with.” or “He is spending more than I make in 3 or 4 years to make the session come back in a few weeks. Oh yeah, they are coming back to take even more money from me.”
p.s. I am (or maybe was) a supporter of the gov. so think what his enemies will say
By Philly
April 20, 2007 7:15 PM | Link to this
http://www.peachpundit.com/2007/04/20/hahahahahaha/
Really funny photo of cagle
Cagle is showing himself to be the Governor’s b*h. He is without a spine.
By Bryant
April 23, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this
If the Democraps had actually put together a decent budget instead of stacking it with pork barrel spending that only ensured their own re-elections, the governor would not have had to veto the rediculous budget.
You morons only see what you want to see and are blinded by what the truth is in front of you. I am not a supporter of the governor and I applaud his actions in this case. The Democraps should stop grand standing for the public and setting the political stage for 2008. God bless them cause they are all idiots here in GA.
By Jeff
April 23, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this
Yo, Bryant. A little behind the times, aren’t we buddy?
Check the last three elections and I think you’ll discover that the Republicans are in charge of the Georgia House and Senate, not the “Democraps”. It was, in fact, a republican - and seriously flawed - budget that the Governor vetoed. That must be really embarrassing for you. Guess you should be careful who you’re calling “idiots”…
By Bryant
April 23, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this
Jeff, I never said the Republicans weren’t in control of the State house. What I did read was the budget proposed by the Georgia congress and the different appropriations added in it by key democratic leaders. Now I will fault the House Republican leaders for passing the budget but I eaqually fault each congressman who added the pork barrel spending projects for their districts. Maybe you should have actually opened up a copy of the proposed budget and read it before sounding off on here to soemone else.