Legislative Update for Week # 4

by Representative David W. Floyd

Bumpy Road Ahead for the 2006 General Assembly

I’m a little worried that we might not succeed in passing a budget this session. This is because there’s an atmosphere in Frankfort that could frustrate good working relationships between parties and between cambers. It’s politics. It’s worse than normal this year, and not just because it’s an election year; some folks are scrambling for leftovers from the attorney general’s merit hiring feeding frenzy.

Evidence of this includes the work of the House majority leadership to erect a wall between them and the House minority, and the work of those same people to organize a protest during the governor’s speech before a joint session.

There was a press conference three weeks ago to announce the agenda of the House of Representatives for this session. I went over to the Capitol to take part. When I got there I saw most every member of the House majority lined up real nice behind the Speaker. In front of all of them was a row of cameras and reporters. 

I thought about going up to join them but when I looked carefully I reckoned that I might not be welcome. No member of the House minority was in the group. When the Speaker started talking about the agenda for the House I assumed that he’d be talking about the whole House; but it turns out he was just talking about his party. This was discouraging.

I saw a fellow standing near me on the sidelines, a senior member of the Speaker’s staff. I asked him if there was any way that I could participate in the agenda that the Speaker was laying out. He just looked at me, grinned, and said “Yeah. You could become a Democrat.” Well, that was a letdown. Here was a friend making it clear to me that there was no expectation of bipartisanship in the House this year.

That’s not what the people want.

I realize that I still have a lot to learn about politics and the General Assembly. But if a man carries on like he’s your friend and he talks about bipartisanship, then you ought to be able to count on him. But in Frankfort you find out that a smile and a handshake don’t mean the same as back home.

The leaders in the House majority organized a labor rally for the night of the joint session. It is good to come to the Capitol, and good to organize for a cause. But these folks came to make noise. And I have to hand it to the governor, instead of avoiding them he walked right in among them. He came out from his first floor office through a kind of gauntlet of taunting men, up one floor past the judicial offices, then up more steps to the third floor and the House chamber.

How did this crowd treat him? With angry calls and cursing most of the way. One of the governor’s staff said that the trip took only two or three minutes; and during that walk he heard the “F” word more times than he had in his entire life before that night. Mrs. Fletcher was beside the governor the whole way.

This crowd kept right on yelling and chanting, through the opening prayer, through the preliminaries, and through the governor’s talk. I know that it’s hard to be responsible for everybody who comes to the Capitol, even if they are on your side. But the next day, on the floor of the House, Rep J.R. Gray (D - Benton) got up and talked about how good it was that the crowd was there and how well they had behaved themselves.

J.R. knew better than that. But I guess he had to say that for the cameras and the reporters who were listening in. He had to say it because of politics. This is a big election year. And it’s becoming clear that people don’t think a thing of letting politics rule their actions. That’s why I fear that again this year politics could win out over the people’s business in the General Assembly.

I asked one member of the other party “What’s up with all of this?” and he said “Dave, not all of us feel this way.” So there’s hope, and we’ll do our best to revive a spirit of cooperation.

Now maybe you can see why I’m always telling you that hearing from you is the best part of my job. Please call toll-free 1-800-372-7181 and ask to leave a message for me. I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can. Another way is to email me through my website, www.davidWfloyd.com.