By Susan Britt
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—On Monday, the Senate voted 19-15 to pass a substitute to the House version of the General Fund Budget. The substitute was adopted by a vote of 31-1. The bill, HB1, was originally carried by Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark). When it reached the House for them to concur, it met strong resistance, and was voted down 92-2.
Last week, the House passed the bill with a $157 million cut to Medicaid that would have left over 250,000 Alabamians without healthcare. After federal matching funds were calculated, it would have been around $550 million in total cuts.
The substitute, introduced by Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), removed the harsh cuts to Medicaid. It fully funds prison reform, cuts Medicaid more than 4 percent, also cutting Mental Health, and DHR 5 percent. Remaining State agencies will be cut 18.5 percent.
The change would increase prison reform provisions to the needed $16 million, while Medicaid cuts would total around $34.5 million.
Orr said, the number one issue, according to the members of the body, was that the prison reform initiative should be fully funded.
Not all Republicans were on board with the budget in this form. Sens. Paul Bussman (R-Cullman), Clyde Chambliss (R-Montgomery), Gerald Dial (R-Lineville), Jimmy Holley (R-Elba), Arthur Orr, Paul Sanford (R-Huntsville) and Tom Whatley (R-Auburn) all voted against the budget, while Tim Melson (R-Florence) and Larry Stutts (R-Sheffield) voted “yea” after voting “no” in committee just last week.
Dial expressed his displeasure by asking members why any company would want to move their facilities to Alabama, a state that cannot feed its seniors? “When you vote for this, you’re voting against seniors, you’re voting against veterans, you’ve voting against hospitals.”
Bussman called it a horrible budget, saying he has seen more games played this month than he has since he was in the Legislature: “It upsets me to know that we came down here for a week, and pretty much wasted our time.”
When the bill came to the House floor on Monday evening, Clouse said, “I unenthusiastically move to concur.” House leadership and Republican representatives made it clear, that they did not like this budget. Democrats urged the body to take more time to consider other options for the bill.
Finally, the House voted on the floor not to concur with the Senate’s budget by a vote of 92-2. Without calling a joint conference committee, Speaker Hubbard declared the General Fund budget, dead.
Reps. Clouse and Gaston (R-Mobile) were the only “yes” votes in the entire chamber.
Without a General Fund Budget, the Governor is forced to call a second special session. The only question is, when?
Originally, the Governor threatened to call them back into session on Wednesday. But, earlier last week, he decided to call them in 8 days before October 1.
