By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Democratic Lieutenant Governor Jim Folsom, Junior ignored the shouts of Republican senators Tuesday and helped break through GOP stalling tactics that had threatened passage of the state budgets.
With Folsom's help, the Senate's Democratic majority quickly killed two bills that minority senators had been holding up. Then Folsom took the procedural steps needed to put the state budgets and public employees' pay raises in line for passage in the closing days of the legislative session.
Republican Senator Larry Dixon accused Folsom of taking illegal votes and violating the law.
But Folsom said the Legislature's paramount duty under the state constitution is to pass the state budgets and he is trying to make sure that happens.
For weeks, 12 Republican senators and fix dissident Democrats have been stalling action on two routine bills to extend the life of the Alabama Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects and the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
When the Senate convened Tuesday, the Senate's 18-member Democratic majority voted quickly to kill both boards on votes of 18-to-17.
The votes came as several Republicans shouted for points of order. Folsom ignored their shouts in taking votes to kill the two bills.
Then working with the Senate's Democratic leadership, Folsom took the procedural steps necessary for the Senate to receive the state General Fund budget and education budget that were previously passed by the House. The Senate also received House-passed legislation to provide pay raises to state workers and school employees. Those bills now go to Senate committees for consideration in the closing days of the legislative session.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)