"Dollar Bill" Howell Sells Out GOP Caucus

As the budget conferees shuffle towards a wrap up of their work, it appears pretty clear that the budget which is emerging more closely reflects a slightly watered-down version of the Senate plan rather than one that contains the priorities House Republicans backed.

Speaker “Dollar Bill" Howell put many of the most controversial issues to votes on the House floor. He then pulled the rug out from under members who stood with leadership, leaving members of the Caucus with egg on their face. Some of the votes were so bad, they’re likely to be fodder for Democratic mailers and commercials next year.

On teacher salaries, the House proposed a controversial change to how the state calculates pay raises for teachers. With the Virginia Education Association strongly opposed and watching, almost all Republicans in the House voted in support of the change. Then a few days into budget negotiations, a statement is released that the House conferees have accepted the Senate’s pro-VEA status quo position. From all accounts, the House got nothing in return.  Exactly what Republican members needed- a vote to piss off local teachers that accomplishes nothing...

So members are put up on the board for a tough recorded vote, the conferees do not push for it in their negotiations, and now House Republicans look stupid with the lead weight of a bad vote on education hanging around their neck.

What about Pre-K?  House Republicans touted the fact that Virginia can’t afford the Governor’s plan with revenues tightening. They railed against it time and again. And now? Well, let House Appropriations Chairman, Lacey Putney’s words in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch speak for themselves:

"You have persuaded us to go to your policy on the compensation package and on the total pre-K package," House Appropriations Committee Chairman Lacey E. Putney, I-Bedford, told Senate conferees.

While the amount is less than the Governor and the Senate wanted, the fact is that House Republicans were asked to draw a line in the sand on the issue with a floor vote. But what happens? “Dollar” Bill Howell allows the conferees to give up $20 million and change for the program.  I support this program, but why would the Speaker draw a line in the sand against it, and then concede the money? Could it be because Lobbyist/House GOP Political Director Chris Jankowski is lobbying for a pro Pre-K group, the Legal Aid Justice Center?. Or maybe Clarke Hogan wanted it in there as his latest attempt to become the most embarrassing member of the House. Who knows?

And what about not stealing money from the Rainy Day Fund to pay for new spending? Wasn’t that supposed to be fiscally irresponsible? But the House conferees caved again and let the Senate Democrats take an extra $60 million. Another Senate proposal that was watered down a little, but not exactly a victory for the House.

And what did the House GOP get in return? 600 mental retardation waivers. Less than the 800 they wanted, and certainly not enough to warrant all the concessions House conferees made to the Senate Democrats.

This a Republican debacle on the scale of Howell’s previous electoral train wreck last year on transportation—the infamous HB 3202. How many House Republicans will get tarred next year due to the Speaker and the House conferees being utterly inept, remains to be seen. But every day “Dollar Bill" is at the helm, the House Republican ship seems to sink further.

Looks like jumping Steve Landes and Chris Jones to name Clarke Hogan a budget conferee resulted in another bust for “Dollar Bill". Actually the whole process is a continuation of the parody of political judgment that is the hallmark of his Speakership.

But don't worry- there’s still time for “Dollar Bill", Vice Speaker Clarke and the rest to screw up some more.

Budget talks have stalled again over public safety. This is probably over the Senate’s plan to increase funding for drug courts and prisoner re-entry programs. But no worries Democrats. Based on what’s happened this year, if the Senators just hold out for another day or two, the House conferees will probably cave to a slightly smaller version of what is being proposed.

The Speaker and the conferees have a lot of explaining to do to their caucus members who took hard votes and now have nothing to show for it.

In fact based on what I’m hearing, most of the rank and file is bewildered at how hard they were thrown under the bus by their own people.

One final tidbit. There is a real possibility that a transportation bill will be entered on the floor in one of the chambers for a snap vote soon. To reduce the chance of its passage being blocked, I hear that the bill was not to be mentioned to members before the session to reduce the chance for opposition to organize against what is rumored to be a statewide tax increase. We’ll have to see if this one is accurate, but if it is, expect that one of the caucuses in one of the chambers will be seething.  And it may finally be the end of "Dollar Bill".

Comments

[Terry Carter]

Uh oh.....

You mean like in 2007 when he tried to talk up the abuser fees at every appearance with a GOP candidate regardless of the candidate's stance on the fees?

[t]

Just like when Howell backstabbed the Most Hon. Dick Black, when Black tried to distribute replicas of unborn babies.

Despicable.

He should have passed out replicas of pregnant women. If the unborn baby is passed out, it looks like they have already been aborted.

As for Dick Black, it would appear that his heathen constituency backstabbed him on Election Day in '05. And again at the First District Congressional GOP convention last year.

Damn heathens are everywhere. Thankfully.

[mike]

what's the word on judicial appointments?

That's just ugly. With all the changing of issue positions, the members must be suffering from whiplash.

If you're going to go after the teachers, why would you ever back of from that position? It isn't like they will forgive the vote anyway.

Just stupid.

There aren't going to be any more judicial appointments. Gov will get to do it. Amazing.

wasn't it hugo that got rid of abuser fees?

[novamiddleman]

I understand this is part of your ongoing series against Howell but this is what happens when you have compromise

You can take your article and swap out R for D and Saslaw for Howell and you get the exact same result or in other words the Senate and the Ds basically only got half of what they were fighitng for on each major issue.

Compromise is when both sides give and take its what actually makes government work. It pisses off the hyperpartisans which is a great thing in my book.

[Not Larry Sabato]

nova- what did the House get? Did you miss the point of this post. The compromise was a slightly watered down Senate budget, with very little included from the tough votes Howell forced on House Republicans.

[novamiddleman]

oh and one final thing the house approved their version of the budget (I'm too lazy to look it up) but it was very lopsided not quite 98-0 but pretty darn close

Anyway, pretty much all of the democrats voted exactly the same way. So you can make anti-incumbant campaigns commercials but anything else makes you extremely hypocritical.

[Social Conservative]

Two things; first, the public safety issue the Senate Democrats have bailed on is funding Alicia's law...so much for the statement you had on your web site just days ago where they said they'd fund it. Talk about whiplash.

Second, the Pre-K plan is a myth. Kaine wanted to add "free and reduced lunch" kids and he didn't get it. All they did is throw a few more dollars toward an existing program. Big deal.

That said, Howell still sucks as speaker and the Ds will be in the majority after 09.

It's not the same. While the Democrats are getting their policies funded in lower amounts than they would have hoped, they are still getting theirs.

The House Republicans are not getting watered down versions of what they wanted. Instead, they are getting almost nothing from what I've read. The House takes a lighter dose of what the Senate originally wanted, but I don't see the Senate taking a House proposal and ceding the issue with a little less money.

To make it worse, the House members are on record with tough votes for a lot of things they ultimately gave up in the negotiations. I do not see the hard votes Saslaw & Co. took that have resulted in a zero gain for them.

The problem with this is not this vote or that vote. It's the sum total.

Republicans have lost the Governorship twice. Republicans have lost control of the State Senate. Republicans lost the last election for the U.S. Senate and, unfortunately, will lose the next one. Now, House Republicans under Howell are blowing seats right and left. House Republican candidates get pummeled in their races mostly over dumb things the leadership thinks are good.

Given how much Republicans have lost in the past few years, when is someone going to stop it? How long are House Republicans going to sit there and continue to follow someone who has achieved nothing but failure after failure since he was named Speaker?

I'm worried that the House GOP will screw the pooch between now and the '09 elections and lose enough seats to put Armstrong in the Speaker's Chair. That means the Democrats control redistricting. It also means getting a majority back will be that much harder.

Like a lot of things in the Republican Party, the Howell Speakership is not working. I have no idea who would be better, but I can't believe that House members are OK with how badly things are going.

It's kind of sad to see that Senate Republicans--a minority--are actually the more effective of the two GOP caucuses in the General Assembly.

[Robley Jones]

It will be very difficult for every Republican member of the House, except Tom Rust - the only House Republican who voted against Item 140 #52h, to defend this vote to take $175 million a year from Virginia's schools. Remember, Virginia is already 33rd in the nation in state per-pupil support for public schools. Fifty-four Republicans voted for the amendment. There is no running from it.

Thank God education is not a partisan issue in the Virginia Senate!

[Terry Carter]

"What about Pre-K? House Republicans touted the fact that Virginia can’t afford the Governor’s plan with revenues tightening. They railed against it time and again. And now? Well, let House Appropriations Chairman, Lacey Putney’s"

Lacey Putney also stated that that education just isn't on the Republican agenda. L O L go figure.

Rob Jones;

Has anyone indexed that number for cost of living? While NoVA is very expensive, Craig County isn’t. Should teachers in both areas make the same? And if there is pay differential, is the Craig teacher suffering because they’re less than the national average?

Let’s be honest. This wasn’t a plan to take $175 million from schools. It was a plan to stop letting the localities place an unfunded mandate on the State. Basically, if the locality gave the teacher a raise above and beyond what the Commonwealth offered, then in the next budget, that cost of that raise would shift to the Commonwealth's burden. The localities don’t have to get any sort of OK from the state about the size of these raises or whether revenues can cover them.

This is similar to something that happens in Virginia for transportation. A locality can approve a subdivision, including new roads. The locality is responsible for the road for one year. Then it becomes VDOT's problem whether VDOT has the means to absorb it or not.

Unfunded mandates are wrong at all levels. The state shouldn’t place them on the localities and vice versa. The system in place now lets the localities give raises without having to consider future revenues since the state has to take much of it over when the SOQs are re-benchmarked.

But in the spirit of bipartisanship, perhaps a compromise could have been reached. And since we all know that the VEA is really about better schools, not just a gimme gimme shill for fatter teacher paychecks and benefits, these may work for you.

Take per pupil spending. If we back out teacher salaries from the equation, we come much closer to the amount spent per pupil for books, supplies, computers and other learning tools. If the VEA is so concerned about the children and per pupil spending, then how about dedicating that $175 million for more books, better instructional settings, school renovations and other expenses that add to the learning experience. Especially since the budget gives teachers a raise anyway.

Lower class sizes might be an option too. Instead of giving the $175 million to current teachers, how about using the money to hire more teachers to increase individual instruction? And VEA gets a bonus--potentially more paying members. Everyone wins.

I will believe the VEA cares about children the first time they come to Richmond and say "instead of jacking up our pay through unfunded mandates from localities, how about this year we take the money and buy X that will enhance the learning experience." Imagine the shock and, then, appreciation that might cause.

I want to meet the VEA representative who is really just as concerned with the quality of the classroom experience as they are with getting more money. That person doesn’t exisit, and if he/she did, they have long been fired.

There are 13 items on the VEA’s legislative agenda according to their website. Every single one is directly connected to salaries and benefits. Not one—not a single one—addresses what else might be needed to improve classrooms. No call for more funding for school construction and renovation. No call for more money for books and supplies. No call for more enrichment programs. No call for more computers. Just more, more, more for the teachers.

And one more thing. If salaries increased to the national average or above, does any one really believe it will impact student performance? Are the kids in Petersburg going to get any less wretched of an education than they are now because the teacher they have is somehow going to do a better job? If teachers get more pay, show me how these bigger raises improve their performance in the classroom. Is some mediocre teacher going to get better because of a fatter check? Please.

Teachers are very important. And they should be treated and paid well. But the idea that somehow raises the state never agreed to should become the state’s problem is absurd. If the localities want to give these raises, then they should have to cover the ongoing cost.

It would be nice if the VEA was actually for improving something related to children’s education other than bigger paychecks for teachers. The VEA should rename itself the Virginia Teacher Compensation Lobbying Association. Because there’s not much about promoting better education through the VEA now.

Appalling.

[PWConservative]

Ben-
Thanks for helping us Republicans stay in the Majority by getting rid of Howell

DPVA doesn't care about hypocrisies in their mailers if they think the attacks will be effective. Last year they mailed against Cuccinelli for votes on bills that Mark Warner signed into law. Then in the district BORDERING Cuccinelli, they mailed defenses of Chap!'s identical vote to Cuccinelli.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Those DPVA mailings are done by the campaigns, not DPVA. That's why they conflict.

That's illegal according to postal regulations and the DPVA's mail permit should be revoked. The fact that RPV hasn't made a complaint and used the mailings saying different things as proof that DPVA is not controlling the message just shows how incompetent they are.

I've laid this out before on here.

[Not Dick Saslaw]

Virginia's budget has gone from $20 to $40 billion per year since 1999 -- why do we need to raise taxes to fund transportation?

[Bubby]

I don't know Not Dick, maybe it's the 40,000 Virginians we're housing in the Department of Corrections (at a price of $25K each/yr)? You know, people that used to pay taxes.

Or maybe it's the $5 billion per year that Virginia pays in Medicaid cost for health care for the poor? God forbid we ever have single-payer medicine!

It's hard being tough on crime and avoiding socialized medicine.

[Robley Jones]

In response to the unnamed poster above, a teacher with a BA degree and ten years experience makes $56,700 in Fairfax and $38,329 in Craig (2006-2007 scales).

Additionally, funding the state share of the cost of the Standards of Quality is not an unfunded mandate imposed on the state by localities, it is a mandate imposed upon localities by the state in the Constitution of Virginia. Article VIII, Section II reads, “The General Assembly shall determine the manner in which funds are to be provided for the cost of maintaining an educational program meeting the prescribed standards of quality, and shall provide for the apportionment of the cost of such program between the Commonwealth and the local units of government comprising such school divisions. Each unit of local government shall provide its portion of such cost by local taxes or from other available funds.”

In regard to the VEA legislative agenda not addressing the needs of children, the writer must have missed VEA’s support for a “Full and Fair Rebenchmarking of the Standards of Quality.” This item includes text books; vocational education; gifted education; special education; prevention, intervention and remediation; English as a second language and remedial summer school. In addition, our children need the state to do its part to attract and retain highly qualified teachers to their classrooms.

It is important to acknowledge that Virginia’s teachers perform! In our national rankings, we are:

– 10th in math
– 9th in reading
– 9th in SAT Scores

Why does VEA’s message at the General Assembly center so much on money and not on children? Because the legislators allocate the money needed to serve the children. When the bell rings this and every morning, VEA members will be doing all they can to prepare the children in their classrooms for the world before them.

I wish the poster that Rob Jones just addressed had signed their name because I have not seen anyone get beat up that bad in a long time.

Rob:

OK, let’s dissect the spin again.

You and I both know that rebenchmarking the Standards of Quality primarily adds money to education for salaries and benefits. Based on VML’s estimates back in July, the portion of the new rebenchmarking cash for funding salaries, updating for inflation and health care benefits adds up to over 91% of the new money for the SOQs. Even if it were plausible to assume that all of the inflation adjustments occur in non-salary and benefit areas, increases for teacher salaries and benefits makes up over 65% of the new money.

So to say that VEA fights for the SOQs because of what it adds for books, enrichment and supplies is pretty disingenuous. Besides, I didn’t see the VEA fighting over the books and supplies and enrichment money. The VEA was all about the 65%-91% of the budget for their member’s paychecks and benefits. So, in fact ALL 13 of the agenda items has to do with mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money. And even if the fair SOQs were about the kids, I’m not sure you deserve any prizes for dedicating around 7.5% of your agenda to issues other than salaries and benefits.

I don’t think anyone is looking to NOT fund the state’s share of the SOQs. But the state’s share should not be determined by the unilateral largesse of local government. Local government provides supplemental raises and then sends the state the bill. And before you start quoting AG’s opinions from back in the Stone Age, the reality is that nothing in the Constitution specifically allows local government to make funding decisions that will impact future state budgets without authorization by the state. If the localities decide to provide supplemental raises, above and beyond what the SOQs provide, then they should continue to carry that burden in subsequent years. Period. End of Story. Local government basically is handing the bill to Richmond to cover these raises on an on-going basis, without regard to whether or not state revenues can manage the new burdens, If that isn’t a unfunded mandate, I’m not sure what is.

Yes. Virginia students do well. And I would have no issue with tying pay to student outcomes as measured by objective outcome data to ensure the best teachers are rewarded,. That’s why I find it curious that the VEA tends to oppose these proposals. After all, given the extraordinary strong performance by Virginia students, you would think the VEA would want outcome-driven merit pay since teachers are on the whole, doing a good job with kids. Even better, it might give additional incentive to teachers in underperforming schools to work harder to boost their student’s achievement.

I appreciate your point in the last paragraph though. At least you admit that the VEA has little to no interest in anything other than getting more money for salaries. Like I said before, I believe that teachers are important and should be paid well. That being said, it should not be the Commonwealth’s obligation to finance raises that were not contemplated in the budget and that should not be the Commonwealth’s obligation. That $175 million saved could have helped fund a lot of books, computers and school construction. But because local government bears no long-term cost for these increases, they have an incentive to behave in a fiscally irresponsible manner since they can just send the bill to Richmond. If the VEA wanted to do the right thing, they would hold local government accountable for these choices, not Richmond.