Saturday, March 25, 2000
Ky. Senate approves budget bill
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FRANKFORT — The Republican-controlled Kentucky Senate passed its version of the two-year state budget Friday on a straight party-line vote, with all Northern Kentucky members voting for the bill.
The bill varies greatly from the version passed last week by the House, which is controlled by Democrats. The main difference is a telecommunications tax increase that the House included but the Senate removed.
The vote sets up a weekend of wrangling between House and Senate Democrats and Republicans who will try to work out their differences in a conference committee.
Those negotiations are expected to continue into early next week; but with the General Assembly session set to end Thursday, lawmakers will be under pressure to hash out the differences and get the budget passed.
If not, they will be forced to leave here next week without a budget, meaning Gov. Paul Patton will have to call a special session — probably in May — to pass a two-year spending plan for the state.
“I think we'll get a budget before we leave here, but I
don't think it is going to be easy,” said Senate President Pro Tem Dick Roeding, R-Lakeside Park, who voted for the Senate budget Friday.
“I was kind of hoping to get out of here this weekend, but it looks now like we are going to be working,” he said.
After about two hours of debate and several fiery and contentious floor speeches, the Senate passed the budget 20-17, with one member not voting.
Joining Mr. Roeding in voting for the budget were local Republican senators Katie Stine of Fort Thomas, Jack Westwood of Erlanger and Ernie Harris of Crestwood, who represents Grant and Gallatin counties.
“This is a reasonable budget,” Mr. Roeding said.
The biggest bone of contention is over a tax increase on telecommunications items such as pagers, long-distance phone calls and cable and satellite television. The increase would raise about $178 million over the next two years, money that would be used to pay for a number of Democratic-backed initiatives and projects.
About $9 million of that money would be spent in Northern Kentucky on projects including community centers in Dayton and Bellevue; parks in Covington, Taylor Mill and Independence; street and sidewalk repairs in Park Hills, Crescent Springs, Crestview Hills, Villa Hills and other Kenton County communities; and a senior citizen center in Elsmere.
Senate Republicans said they rejected the House budget because it included new taxes.
“By virtue of our stand against taxes, (Kentucky residents) will have their own money to spend on the things their families need,” Mrs. Stine said.
Mr. Westwood, a member of the Senate budget committee, said some of the projects could be returned to the budget during the conference committee, a view shared by mem bers of Senate GOP leadership, including Senate President David Williams.
Mr. Westwood said the Senate is doing the people of Kentucky a service by not giving them higher taxes.
“Our debate really discussed a lot of the fundamental differences that take place in this culture we live in,” Mr. Westwood said. “The (Democrats) believe they see a need and an opportunity to help, and say, "We'll take care of you, from cradle to grave if necessary.'
“The (Republicans) see needs, and they're very sensitive to those needs as well, but they say, "We trust you that you are going to be able take care of your needs if we will let you, if we will enable you, if we get off our back, if we will allow you to keep some of your money that belongs to you and not keep it down here in Frankfort.'
“Maybe that's why we are now in the majority,” he said.
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