The Raleigh News & Observer’s Under the Dome blog notes that Gov. Perdue’s 2010-11 budget recommendations unveiled this week received some negative reviews from some key state lawmakers:
The committee’s chairs, who are the legislature’s chief budget writers, made clear Wednesday they want major changes in Perdue’s spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Asked for his major concerns over Perdue’s plan, which even she made clear is only a starting point, budget committee co-chair Jim Crawford, an Oxford Democrat, held up the whole 230-page book. Senior co-chair Mickey Michaux, a Durham Democrat, added: “The whole damn thing.”
Michaux and Sen. Linda Garrou, a Democrat from Winston-Salem, expressed particular skepticism over Perdue’s proposed $500 million in education cuts.
Whatever changes they make will be quick. Garrou pledged the Senate would vote on a budget on May 20, a week after this year’s legislative session begins.
Can you imagine a legislator saying that to one of Jim Hunt’s budget proposals?
This is the direct result of Gov. Perdue’s favorable ratings being in the tank. Legislators of her own party perceive her as weak and can trash her and her budget openly in the press.