Burnt Orange Report

Imagine this. Democrats Right, Perry Lied

By Byron LaMasters

It really doesn't get any clearer than this. Last week Republicans argued that Democrats breaking quorum prevented the state from distributing $800 million for needy children. The Austin American Statesman on Tuesday, June 29th reported:

As this year's first special legislative session imploded Monday afternoon, Republican leaders pulled an unexpected political reverse and accused their Democratic rivals of hurting the poor children of Texas and their families.

The GOP message of the day downplayed congressional redistricting and proclaimed that the real losers were the thousands of heretofore-ignored needy Texans praying that the Legislature would help them.

"Today, a minority of members in the state Senate prevented the Senate from finishing important work and killed legislation that would have generated an additional $800 million to help meet the priorities of our citizens," Gov. Rick Perry said in a statement that didn't mention redistricting.

"We could have spent that money to boost Medicaid payments for home care services, to help pregnant women receive Medicaid services, to expand health insurance for children of working families."

The charges — echoed by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick — were remarkably similar to the rhetoric that Democrats lobbed at Republicans who cut social services instead of raising taxes earlier this year.

This time, the accusations referred to a trio of bills that had received scant attention or even lip service over the past few weeks.

The measures included accounting maneuvers that would have shifted around some state money, giving state leaders more spending flexibility. They would have also allowed officials to spend other money that was just delivered by the federal government or freed up when Perry vetoed parts of the state's $117 billion budget.

Critics immediately questioned the Republicans' sincerity, noting that Perry never committed to using the $800 million to offset social service cuts and that he hasn't even added the failed bills to his call for the latest special session, which began Monday afternoon.

As it turns out, however, the Senate wasn't needed to appropriate the new federal money. Finally, yesterday, Republicans all but admitted that they lied:

For the past week, Gov. Rick Perry and Republicans have been firing away at the out-of-town Democrats for holding up new money for health care.

As it turns out, the GOP was shooting blanks.

Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott on Tuesday confirmed what Democrats have said all along: Perry and the Legislative Budget Board already have the power to spend new federal money on health care if they want.

That means the Legislature doesn't have to change state law, and the Democrats don't have to come back to Austin from New Mexico to free up the cash (though they might still have to vote on making a separate pot of money available to spend).

"Today, doctors, hospitals and patients can breathe a sigh of relief because the state of Texas has received legal approval to use federal funds needed to address health care needs," Perry said.

The state has received $372 million in federal money primarily intended for health care that were not included in the budget Perry signed in June.

Gosh. Next time Perry lies he ought to at least try and cover it up a little better, but then again, as Sen. Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) would say, Perry's "not the brightest porch light on the block". It always helps going into a fight with dumb opponents. Now, if only the good folks of Texas would stop electing them...