Leading out
When the deal on a special session on taxes advanced from golf-course talk to serious meetings early this week, the agreement between House, Senate and governor briefly hung up on one issue.
Similar attempts to address taxes since the general session last March had seen a cadre of lawmakers herding their colleagues toward consensus, while Huntsman stood back, hands clean, in a passive role.
The governor, of course, alone holds the power to call lawmakers into session.
Fresh in legislators' memory was the May special session supposedly to handle some legislative housekeeping where Republicans wound up looking like rampaging Visigoths.
Huntsman had put on the agenda a request for $2 million in dental care for the poor and lawmakers refused to consider it. They chose, instead, to pump $15 million into a Capitol parking garage.
Not a great image-improving move. Meanwhile, Huntsman rode out the hero.
So as this week's special session deal began to gel during their field trip to Vernal, the gun shy lawmakers made it clear they would not move forward unless the governor publicly took a leading role.
Said one key lawmaker: "The House and Senators agreed that this time we wanted to see the governor step out in front and use some of his popularity."
Less than a day later, when the story of the deal was being reported, Huntsman spokesman Mike Mower called in some quotes to the Tribune from Wyoming. (He was visiting Mt. Rushmore, where we understand he had gone to reserve space for Huntsman's mug.)
When asked if the governor was on board with the deal, Mower first offered his usual cure-for-insomnia quote: We'll spare you the details, but he basically said the governor was on board. . . . yadda-yadda. . . .
But within five minutes, Mower called back with an emphatic clarification.
"The governor is pleased to be leading out in this effort . . . yadda-yadda . . . ."
Apparently, message received.
-- Glen Warchol
Similar attempts to address taxes since the general session last March had seen a cadre of lawmakers herding their colleagues toward consensus, while Huntsman stood back, hands clean, in a passive role.
The governor, of course, alone holds the power to call lawmakers into session.
Fresh in legislators' memory was the May special session supposedly to handle some legislative housekeeping where Republicans wound up looking like rampaging Visigoths.
Huntsman had put on the agenda a request for $2 million in dental care for the poor and lawmakers refused to consider it. They chose, instead, to pump $15 million into a Capitol parking garage.
Not a great image-improving move. Meanwhile, Huntsman rode out the hero.
So as this week's special session deal began to gel during their field trip to Vernal, the gun shy lawmakers made it clear they would not move forward unless the governor publicly took a leading role.
Said one key lawmaker: "The House and Senators agreed that this time we wanted to see the governor step out in front and use some of his popularity."
Less than a day later, when the story of the deal was being reported, Huntsman spokesman Mike Mower called in some quotes to the Tribune from Wyoming. (He was visiting Mt. Rushmore, where we understand he had gone to reserve space for Huntsman's mug.)
When asked if the governor was on board with the deal, Mower first offered his usual cure-for-insomnia quote: We'll spare you the details, but he basically said the governor was on board. . . . yadda-yadda. . . .
But within five minutes, Mower called back with an emphatic clarification.
"The governor is pleased to be leading out in this effort . . . yadda-yadda . . . ."
Apparently, message received.
-- Glen Warchol
3:42 PM
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1 Comments:
Pretty sure Rushmore in South Dakota
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