Once again, Republican leaders of the House and Senate have pledged to work together in the run-up to the legislative session set to begin Monday. They say the state's mounting budget gap - which could top $2 billion - gives them all the more reason to keep their word.
"I don't know that it'll be a love fest," said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the Senate's leader. "But the reality is that challenging times have a way of bringing people together."
Republicans from both chambers say there's a growing sense that the session will focus almost entirely on cobbling together an effective spending plan, with the more contentious proposals likely sidelined for another year.
Of course, the talk of unity is nothing new under the Gold Dome.
The 2007 legislative session began with Republican leaders professing a united front and ended in a frenzy after Gov. Sonny Perdue vetoed the $700 million midyear spending plan. House Speaker Glenn Richardson then accused Perdue of showing his "backside" and called it a "sad day for Georgia."
Before last year's session, GOP leaders campaigned together promising the party was focused on a few main "priorities" - including education and the economy. But relations between the House and Senate devolved into a shouting match by the session's end.
Left in the wake were proposals from both chambers that aimed to wipe out the car tag tax, slash the income tax and cap property assessments.
This time around, though, there's a feeling - particularly among rank-and-file members - that the nation's economic crisis will force the two chambers to work together.
"I hope knowing that we have to do what's best for the citizens of the state will lead to calmer relations between the two," said state Rep. Tim Bearden, a Villa Rica Republican. "This isn't about the House, or a chamber. It's about the citizens of the state."
The budget deficits could very well throw a wrench in their plans. Richardson and Cagle have both signaled they are opposed to raising taxes, which will force legislators to focus their cuts on existing projects and programs.
In a way, some legislators say the tight budget offers a chance for a clean slate - and a reason to work together.
The surplus in past years led to stinging fights among Republicans over whether to spend money on ambitious new projects or, as many of the more conservative members preferred, give it back to residents in the form of tax breaks or refunds.
"I'm not sure this is the year in the House and Senate for innovative legislation. We can't battle about tax cuts if we don't have the money to fund the budget as it is," said state Sen. Cecil Staton, a Macon Republican.
"Some of those things that are inherently difficult to deal with may just be on the sidelines. And that might help make for a calmer year," Staton said.
Richardson said through a spokesman that he is "looking forward to working with the governor and our partners in the Senate."
The first few days of the session may help set the tone.
The start of last year's gathering immediately reopened bitter wounds when House lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to override a dozen of Perdue's vetoes. This year's hectic first week could again bring out an intraparty rift - or signal a cooling of tensions.
"I want to believe the House and Senate both have a strong sense of urgency about the recession, about the hardships people are suffering," said state Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick. "I believe cooler heads will prevail."
SEN. HAWKINS NAMED NEW COMMITTEE CHAIR
State Sen. Lee Hawkins of Gainesville has been appointed by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle as the new chairman of State and Local Government Operations.
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"...challenging times have a way of bringing people together," Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/1/105233