Budget process stalls with procedural issue

UPDATE:  The Republican amendments have been voted down, and the budget has been sent to the Senate.

With six hours left to close the budget, there’s some buzz in the hallways over the latest hold up.

When the House Democrats moved for the budget to be passed and sent on, the Republicans objected, stating that they did not have enough time to review the budget and submit amendments.

Rep. Richard Sykes, R-Harrison, had objected to the budget’s passage on the grounds that amendments had not been able to be considered. After leadership held a brief conference, the House broke for partisan caucuses to await a few more Republican amendments.

Two or three will come up, said House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport.

“We had amendments we had taken to the Reviser’s Office,” Tardy said. “They were not going to allow further amendments. It’s not a good sight when you try to hurry the process up.”

House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, said the Democrats made a deal with Tardy that the Republicans could submit their version of the budget and two amendments, all of which were indefinitely postponed.

Pingree said the Democrats are happy to accept the amendments – unless, of course, it’s an effort to stall the process until midnight.

The House has just gone back in session and they are taking up the amendments.