House speaker says budget delay part of January deal

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- By tradition, the House of Representatives tries to pass its version of the state budget before the legislature adjourns for its annual spring recess. In years when that arbitrary deadline is missed, the chamber typically finishes the job shortly upon returning from the break.

After lawmakers closed shop Thursday for their 10-day hiatus, however, House Speaker Catherine Hanaway said the lower chamber might not approve the budget until mid-April -- a declaration that annoyed the Senate budget chairman and Gov. Bob Holden.

Hanaway's timetable would leave as little as three weeks for the Senate to adopt its version of the spending plan and for the two chambers to work out differences in the proposals by the May 7 constitutional deadline for delivering the budget to the governor.

When the Democratic administration and Republican legislative leaders in January settled on a consensus revenue estimate on which they would base the budget, all sides agreed to revisit the estimate after the April 15 deadline for filing state income tax returns. If Missourians claim more in tax refunds than anticipated, that could have a drastic impact on how much money the state has to spend during the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Hanaway said that deal included allowing the House to hold the budget until any revised estimate is formulated so the chamber would have more accurate figures with which to work.

Hanaway's interpretation of the agreement was news to other parties.

"That was never part of any understanding we had," Holden said. "They should be moving forward. Not only are they causing problems for the executive branch, but they are causing real problems for their Republican colleagues in the Senate."

State Sen. John Russell, the upper chamber's budget chairman, said the delay, which he didn't agree to, puts the Senate at a disadvantage but not an insurmountable one.

"I don't like it, but I'll work with it," Russell said.

Hanaway said the House could act on the budget prior to April 15 if there are firm indications the earlier revenue projection is on track.

Everywhere there's signs

The Missouri Capitol often overflows with spoken political rhetoric, but the recent trend of posting partisan propaganda within the hallowed halls has become too much for one longtime lawmaker.

State Sen. Jim Mathewson, a 30-year legislative veteran, is proposing a ban on partisan signage in the building's public areas.

"I think we're losing some of the respect that to me this building has always held," Mathewson said.

Messages posted by Democratic lawmakers include "Education Cuts Don't Heal," a shot at Republicans who are accused of doing too little to fund public schools.

A large banner that until last week hung outside of House Speaker Pro Tem Rod Jetton's office was a prime Republican example in the war of posted words.

That banner read "Release the funds, Governor!" a slight misquotation of the phrase Jetton shouted to interrupt Holden's State of the State address in January. Jetton, R-Marble Hill, was referring to the reduction in education spending Holden ordered to keep the state budget balanced.

In a self-deprecating political statement, state Sen. John Louden, R-Ballwin, recently had a display posted near his office touting an editorial "hat trick." Featured were enlarged copies of three St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorials that accused Louden of consistently offering stupid legislative proposals.

Staples building

Former state Sen. Danny Staples had a rich reputation for being more than a little offbeat. Given his eccentricities, the late Southeast Missouri Democrat no doubt would have chuckled heartily at the idea of a building at a mental institution bearing his name.

Since Staples, who died in August after leaving office just months earlier, was instrumental in establishing the Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center in Farmington, Russell said it is only fitting the facility's main structure be dubbed the Danny Staples Building.

"I hope he would feel it was an honor, but I think he would probably find it funny, too," said Russell, who is sponsoring a resolution to put Staples' name on the building.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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