Perry - who was given several opportunities - declined to say he would veto it if the bill comes to him.
"I'm making it pretty clear I don't want people to spend the Rainy Day Fund," he said.
Asked if that should be taken as a "no," Perry replied: "No, I take it as what I said. I have made it a fairly good practice of not saying I'm not going to sign a piece of legislation or veto a piece of legislation until it comes to my desk in its final form. I don't think it's fair to the process this far out."
Perry's cop-out is terribly weak and borders on a complete lie. He announces legislation he will sign (sonograms, eminent domain, photo ID) or veto (CHIP expansion) all the time.
Governor Perry is engaging in a long-form negotiation, and he's not doing that well. While Governor Perry travels the country, House and Senate lawmakers are in hearings every day learning about the devastating consequences the budgets will have on mothers and fathers across the state. He refuses to meet disabled Texans who are outside of his office, or really come face-to-face with any of the consequences of his actions. But Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate are coming face-to-face with what Perry's outlandish request would mean for Texas.
The tipping point is coming, if we're not already there, and and Governor Rick Perry is going to lose what little negotiating strength he has left. He will react, as he has in the past, with bravado and bold actions that serve himself instead of the state, and he will also take credit for all the work that others did for all of session. It's an act we've all seen before.
