‘Pass a new budget or shut down Legislature’

If the Legislature fails to pass a new budget for fiscal year 2006—which starts four weeks from now—it is essentially saying that it should be shut down, senate majority leader Paul Manglona said.

“The Constitution says that the Legislature should always pass a budget. We can’t just pass a budget when the revenues are up. When it’s down, it’s more important for the Legislature to pass a budget because this means really scrutinizing the agencies’ needs, what agencies to cut. That’s painful but that’s our job. We can’t say that when the revenue goes down, we shut down the Legislature. But that’s pretty much what the House is trying to do. They’re saying, ‘Because the revenue is down, let’s shut down the Legislature and let the governor just operate this government.’ No way! That’s not what the Constitution says,” said Manglona.

He dared his colleagues “to be legislators.”

“When the revenues go down, I wonder how many of the members are willing to act as legislators. If we need to cut, so be it. It’s our responsibility under the Constitution to pass the government’s budget,” reiterated the veteran senator.

Manglona cited that passing a partial budget for one agency to the detriment of other agencies “is an irresponsible act.”

The House passed on first reading House Bill 14-371 last week, allotting $50 million (from $37.2 million) to the Public School System, leaving the other agencies with less funding.

The House identified last week $156 million in available resources for other agencies, as contained in House Concurrent Resolution 14-3.

The government is currently operating on a $213 million continuing resolution.

The administration earlier certified that due to a projected decline in garment sector revenues next year, the only available resources would be $206 million.

The House, Senate, and the Executive Branch have only four weeks left to act on the budget bill.

“We’re really running short of time. I hope the House also takes into consideration the fact that the Senate has to review it [budget] and the governor has to act on it,” said Manglona.

The administration submitted to the Legislature its budget totaling $225.8 million on April 1 this year.

House Ways and Means Committee chairman Norman S. Palacios explained that the Constitution does not give a specific deadline to pass the budget. He said the Legislature can still pass a new budget even after Sept. 30, as in the case last year.

Last year, the Legislature passed the budget in December—three months after the start of FY 2005. The bill, however, was vetoed by the governor, who cited that it would not match the actual need of the government.

Manglona said that a potential governor’s veto on a budget should not prevent lawmakers from acting on it.

“The governor has that prerogative under the law but it’s not an excuse for us not to pass a budget. It’s a lame excuse. Now, if the governor vetoes it, then the Legislature can muster enough votes to override it,” he said.

Manglona said that if the Legislature cannot come up with a new budget, it should adopt a joint resolution authorizing the governor to reprogram funds for all government authorities.