Lawmakers hail bipartisanship during final day

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- During a year dominated by financial woes in which lawmakers were sideswiped by a new budget crisis every couple of weeks, it wouldn't have been surprising if few accomplishments came from the 2002 General Assembly.

But when lawmakers headed home for the year after Friday's mandatory adjournment deadline, more priority legislation was on the governor's desk than in the waste bin.

Despite the odds, major bills on transportation funding, elections and property tax reform were among the legislative successes. In all, 214 bills survived the legislative process.

One large failure, for supporters if not for the ample number of opponents, was the demise of proposed state subsidies for a St. Louis Cardinals ballpark and stadium upgrades in Kansas City.

With the exception of Democratic recriminations for Republicans in the House of Representatives over bitter disagreements related to the state budget, most of the key players gave the session high marks for bipartisanship.

"Every legislature has lessons for those who follow," said Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat. "The one lesson that I believe can be taken from the 91st General Assembly is that when times are difficult, as they have been this year, bipartisan cooperation becomes more important than ever."

Said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau: "We have worked together for the people of this state, and the people are the real winners as a result."

Filling a hole

The session's final week was dominated by efforts to fill a $167 million hole in the $19 billion state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Lawmakers sent the spending plan to Holden a week earlier, but out of balance.

Largely through the creative patching together of one-time, short term solutions -- including authorizing selling bonds on future payments from a settlement with tobacco producers to raise $50 million -- lawmakers were able to nearly bridge the gap by finding $164 million.

While most state agencies endured funding cuts, lawmakers were able to deliver a $135 million increase for elementary and secondary education. The increase, the top priority of both parties, doesn't quite fully fund the formula that distributes state aid to local schools. But it comes closer than many thought possible in recent weeks.

"Through bipartisan cooperation, we were able to increase funding to education in the budget despite decreasing revenues," said House Minority Floor Leader Catherine Hanaway, R-Warson Woods.

Rainy Day dried up

Hanaway, however, had no apologies for the House GOP stance against raiding the state's Rainy Day Fund for $120 million to balance the current budget. Although Democrats in both chambers and a majority of Republicans in the Senate overwhelmingly endorsed the plan, Hanaway was able to block the plan from getting the super-majority it needed. As a result, Holden was forced to make steep cuts in higher education with only six weeks left in the fiscal year.

"We prevented a 45-day problem from turning into a three-year nightmare," Hanaway said.

Had the fund been used, lawmakers would have had to come up with an additional $40 million a year through FY 2005 to comply with the reserve fund's payback requirements.

Using that money would have left the state without sufficient money in the event of a natural disaster, such as the continuing flooding problems in some parts of the state, said Assistant Minority Floor Leader Pat Naeger, R-Perryville.

"Refusing to deplete our disaster relief fund was a wise decision from a fiscally responsible point of view," Naeger said.

House Speaker Jim Kreider, D-Nixa, was still cross over the minority party's obstinate behavior.

"I hope those that voted against fiscal responsibility and in favor of obstructionist tactics can face the people of their district with a clear conscience," he said.

But Kreider also showed a stubborn streak, helping to keep the stadium funding bill from ever reaching a House vote.

With Herculean effort, Kinder steered the $644 million package through the Senate 10 days before adjournment. Kreider held up the measure until late Wednesday as a bargaining chip in the budget-balancing negotiations. By the time Kreider placed it on the agenda, it was realistically too late.

"The bill can be said to have died in the speaker's drawer," Kinder said.

Even if it had come to the House floor, supporters and opponents alike predicted the bill would fall at least 20 votes short of passing. Kinder said he still would have liked to try.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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