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I just received an official statement on the matter of the changes to the Tennessee State budget made in secret a few days ago. While I appreciate the statement and the information it conveys, it is more notable for what it does not say than for what it does.
The Lt Governor’s office released the following:
“The confusion surrounding the language in the budget regarding Planned Parenthood has been unfortunate. The Office of Legal Services advised House and Senate leadership that it is unconstitutional to amend general law through the appropriations bill (Article II, Section 17), an interpretation which would have put the entire budget document in jeopardy. It was not our intent to allow funding for Planned Parenthood. Our majority in the General Assembly clearly meant to defund them. We are currently working with pro-life activists to resolve this issue with legislation and we will put it to rest immediately upon the legislature’s return in January.”
Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey and Speaker Beth Harwell
I’m happy the General Assembly (GA) clearly meant to defund Planned Parenthood (PP). I’m happy they are working to fix the language in the current budget that fails to accomplish the GA’s intent. All of that is to happen in January. Unfortunately, none of that is important right now.
What the statement does not say is who changed the budget language in the dead of night. What the statement does not say is why they chose deception and a possibly felonious avenue to do so. What the statement does not say is what rationale was given for these actions. What the statement does not say is what is to be done with the person that did all of this. This is what is important right now. Unfortunately, the Speaker and the Lt Governor don’t address these matters.
If the intent of the legislature was to defund PP, then surely the person who altered the budget language on his own understood that and was trying to either outright thwart the intent of the legislature or he was trying to protect the State from a lawsuit as has been suggested.
If he was trying to undo what the GA had purposed to do, he is a “traitor” and should be dealt with as such. If he had the authority to make these changes and did so knowing he was undermining the GA’s intent how is he not guilty of the felony noted here and defined as “the unauthorized exercise of official power [and] acts exceeding one’s official power”?
If he was trying to protect the State from a potential lawsuit, why not simply notify leadership and allow them time to do what the statement says they are doing – draft the legislative language needed to properly defund PP?
As much as I dislike the notion, this seems a smokescreen to avoid answering the harder questions. Fixing problems facing your stated intent is a “no brainer.” It’s pretty much expected.
But the real issue is the utter disregard and disdain a legislator or two and perhaps the odd staffer have shown for the integrity of the legislative process. The leadership statement does not deny there was an attempt to furtively alter the state’s budget. We wouldn’t be having this conversation had someone not monkeyed around with things for which they had no authority to do so.
Who altered the budget without notice or authority and what is to be done with them? Those are the issues. Everything else is unimportant. Addressing anything other than that is misdirection, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch, disinformation – choose whatever description you like – it is uniformly wrong and uniformly bad.
In addition, continuing to be silent on the issue invites only additional bad things.
Legislators who are innocent are having their names and reputations sullied. This is an infuriating consequence. One legislator has behaved badly. Yet the entire GA twists in the wind before a questioning public when the matter could be easily put to rest. That is simply cruel.
The longer the matter drags out the larger the cloud that forms over what should have been a banner year for the GOP and the State of Tennessee. As one friend emailed me, “After holding a legislative session the Republicans could be proud of, it is really sad to know that something like this was done — it is really a ‘black eye’ for them and is very troubling to those who expect things to be done on the up and up. This does nothing to inspire confidence in politics or politicians.”
Continued silence only undermines confidence in the Lt Governor’s and the Speaker’s commitment to the rule of law, right and wrong and justice. These two leaders stood before the state and assured us we could trust them to do the right thing for us as individuals and for the State of Tennessee. It is very unusual for me to find a completely unanimous stance on an issue by my readers. This is one. Not a single person has suggested that the legislators who secretly changed the budget language be shown anything but the door along with our contempt. How is this not also the attitude of the leaders of our State?
The circumstances before us are changes to the budget without notice. But the issues before us are leadership, character, integrity and trust. The joint statement addresses the circumstance and leaves the issues untouched. The longer that remains the case, the worse the situation will become. GOP leadership moved quickly to deal with fixing the damage done to the budget. Please … Lt Governor Ramsey and Speaker Harwell – move swiftly to deal with the more important issues which remain.
UPDATE 5/30 @ 17:30
I’ll be on the Ralph Bristol show tomorrow morning (Tuesday 5/31) at 7AM to talk about the secret changing of Tennessee’s State Budget. Listen in at Super Talk 99.7 FM in Middle Tennessee or on the web.
If we are not to know who made the changes and why we were not informed, and our Leadership allows this., it should be our first and foremost challenge to be rid of them.
I really thought Ron Ramsey was an upstanding and true Christian. If this is not resolved to the citizens of Tennessee's like me, who really do not understand law, just the people we have that assure us that they have our best interest at heart.
Mr Ramsey, I Doris Wise, demand that you tell me and all Tennessee exactly what happened, in the dark of night then you have lost my trust and you need to step down…………….
This stinks to high heaven! Ramsey and Harwell and whoever made the request are traitors to the citizens of Tennessee. They are covering up for someone and we will find out who it is and all of you will pay in the end. I knew Harwell was a loser and now you, too, Ramsey, have shown your true colors.
[...] Lt Governor Ron Ramsey and Speaker of the House Beth Harwell released a joint statement today on the matter of the secret changes to the budget last week. It is a disappointing statement given that it only addresses how defunding Planned Parenthood will be fixed and completely ignores who made the unauthorized and secret budget changes, why those changes were made and what is to be done with the person who did this. I hope the leadership takes these matters up as well and quickly … [...]
[...] the information it conveys, it is more notable for what it does not say than for what it does. Read The Full Story Comments closed | Trackback [...]
The joint statement, reveals absolutely nothing, and we are told it will be resolved next January. We have waited much too long, as citizens in this great state, for passage of this important legislation. This must be resolved immediately. Time for a special session and total transparency. Important legislation has been revised and weakened to save costs, yet in a cost cutting year, the ability to fund Planned Parenthood against the will of the people, and our legislature, remains.
What has happened is WRONG and the lying, sneaky, conniving legislator(s) need(s) to brought up on criminal charges and thrown out of office. Do that and people will applaud and have much regard and trust for the leadership. Do nothing and we will soon have dems back in charge.
I hate it when our elected Men and Women are not honest with the We The People.We give them our vote and our money and they still think they can lie and play those games with us…Just be honest and tell us the truth…it will set us free.I don't see how some of these leaders can lay down and sleep at night…
I'm naive as to the legislative process, and as to criminal law, but is this any different from altering a $10 check to read $1000, or from altering a signed contract to include terms that one signer never intended?
I don't care what party the participants belong to, they should be standing in a criminal courtroom, entering pleas. If they have any public office, they should be removed therefrom.
Tom -
You may be inexperienced regarding both the legislative process and criminal law but the two analogies you offer are spot on. Great comment and analysis …
[...] Leadership of both the House and Senate are trying to gloss over the episode. Speaker and Lt Gov Release Statement Notable for What it Does Not Say | Blue Collar Muse "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen [...]
We appreciate all the hard work that has gone into this investigation, Ken. The quote from your friend up there is spot on….after such a difficult and productive year at the legislature, this is indeed a black eye. And for all of us who spent hours everyday working the legislative issues and chasing our tails down there, this is a real punch in the nose! While many of our legislators are decent and good folks, and have given many of us so much aid and assistance, there are some who are blackguards….most despicable. We need to flush them out and be rid of them….with criminal charges. There is only so much we can all take….
[...] 5/28/11 in the afternoon, Lt Governor Ramsey and Speaker Harwell release a joint statement in which they promise to make sure PP is defunded in the upcoming legislative session beginning in [...]
[...] Speaker and Lt Gov Release Statement Notable for What it Does Not Say (bluecollarmuse.com) [...]
[...] Therefore, legislation has been written to present to the legislature immediately upon their return in January to fix the issue in the 2012-2013 budget and beyond. To address the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Nashville has been convinced to expand its services to meet demand and will take all the Title X money available to it. Memphis is expected to follow suit but that’s not yet sure. There will be no funds for PP to bid for. [...]