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DEL.ICIO.USBut if not a special session of the Legislature, maybe an extra special one
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So House Speaker Glenn Richardson has apologized to Sonny Perdue for declaring that, by vetoing a $700 million budget bill, the governor had exposed his own rear end in a flagrant and unflattering manner.
The apology came in a private meeting between the two. It was also made in writing.
We suspect two motives here.
First, the apology was necessary to lower the temperature, so that some semblance of diplomacy could begin. We are 17 days into this episode, and Monday was the first time Richardson and Perdue had spoken to each other since before the end of the session.
Secondly, the apology was preparatory. It was intended to make it easier for Governor Perdue to withdraw his veto of the $700 million budget bill (and $142 million property tax rebate) that started us down this road. One reversal for another.
We have not heard from Perdue today. We don’t even know if he accepted Richardson’s apology.
But we do know that the weight of today’s verbiage was focused on finding a way to shuffle money hither and yon to fill the most blatant gaps left by the budget bill — and avoid bringing 235 lawmakers to Atlanta for a special session.
After his mea culpa Richardson laid out a strategy for moving the cash. We failed to extract any public comment out of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle today, but we know he has told Republican senators that he’d like to duck a special session if at all possible.
The chief hurdle is that it would require the governor to “unveto” the budget bill.
“The first thing would involve the governor changing his mind on the veto,” said Barry Fleming of Harlem, the House majority whip, who made the public case for no special session on Monday.
A governor can change his mind?
“Sure you can,” Fleming said. Perdue declared that the House’s April override of his veto was invalid be he hadn’t transmitted it. That can be turned into an advantage, Fleming said.
“The analogy would be me sitting on the floor of the House, deciding to vote yes or no on something. Until the speaker closes the machine, I can change my mind as many times as I want to.
“If you take the governor’s argument, which is ‘I have not transmitted this to the Legislature,’ then he still has it in his purview. There is case law — not in Georgia, but in other states — where situations similar to this have occurred,” said Fleming, an attorney.
The question is whether Perdue could find it within himself to backtrack.
After a brightly lit session with TV cameras, which recorded the flourish of his pen, saying “never mind” would be slightly embarrassing.
But moving forward brings its own uncertainties.
If Perdue calls a special session, the House would certainly make another attempt at an override of his veto. The governor has received assurances from Cagle that the votes are in the Senate to sustain the veto. But there’s no guarantee.
Comments
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By Glenn, Mark, Earl, Barry, Ben & Jerry
May 7, 2007 9:09 PM | Link to this
Come on Gov. you can do it…..come on now….come on….change your mind….just for us…oops, just for the taxpayers….come on now….tear up that nasty little embarrassing veto document so we can go home….come on….that a boy….just like we practiced…you can do it!
By Glenn
May 7, 2007 9:22 PM | Link to this
Gov. - just in case you do change your mind and Mark, Ben and the boys hope you do; have Ed or Cathy call us at the Spotted Dog or confidentially e-mail us at our new address: thegolddomeboys@yahoo.com. I think Earl brought his laptop. PS. I had to change the e-mail because of that gal at AGL; you understand.
By Glenn
May 7, 2007 9:50 PM | Link to this
Hey Gov., Barry just reminded me that I’m a lawyer too. GSU - 1985; though Earl and Ben are laughing cuz they think GSU stands for Georgia State Unaccredited; so, that’s two lawyers now telling you to rip up the damn unofficial veto that never should have been and please don’t listen to that *&%@# ice tea drinking Casey cuz he aint got no degree; wait, Mark says he’s got a GED! I gotta go cuz Earl wants his lap top back so he can blog some more. Anyhow, come on down and celebrate with us cuz we’re best friends again! PS. Park out back and don’t forgoet to brink that damn veto document.