Gloves are off in legislative bout

Inter Lake editorial

So much for harmony in Helena. The battles in the Capitol have begun, and all indications are that the forces of power will be pulling in different directions, as usual.

Not that theres anything terribly surprising about it. This is typical of Montana politics in recent years, but just a week ago, Republican and Democratic lawmakers were talking about the need to strike a different tone and approach to the issues of contention than was found in 2007, when the Legislature infamously failed to pass a budget for the first time in its history.

This time around, legislators pledged, it would be different. But then the states forecast of a surplus suddenly shrank by $500 million to $287 million, just as Gov. Brian Schweitzer released a proposed budget for the next two years. Of course, it didnt take long for the powerful education lobby to complain that the governors planned spending increases for K-12 schools are woefully inadequate. Nothing new there.

Then, GOP legislators complained Schweitzers 10 percent increase in continuing spending was too much. And, of course, it is very unlikely that Republicans particularly those in the Senate majority will drop their insistence on the need for tax cuts to help the ailing economy, starting with the elimination of the business equipment tax. But the governors budget doesnt include any provisions for tax cuts or rebates, so the push and pull over taxation and spending is already under way.

Finally, last week, it was reported that Speaker-elect Bob Bergren, D-Havre, intended to make all House committee assignments on a partisan basis, including the appointment of all committee chairmanships, despite the fact that the House is divided 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans.

Republicans were aghast, holding a press conference on Friday to call Bergrens move a power grab that defied power sharing traditions established when the House was equally divided in 1985 and 2005.

The 2009 legislative session has not yet convened, and Democratic leadership has already infused highly partisan rancor into the process, pronounced Republican House Leader Scott Sales.

In the 2005 session, the two sides made their own picks to fill 12 evenly divided standing committees, half of them chaired by Republicans and half by Democrats. They flipped a coin to decide who got to pick the first committee, with the Democrats winning and selecting one of their own to chair the Appropriations Committee. The Republicans then selected two committees to chair, and they alternated picks after that.

It may seem like petty schoolyard business, but its not. Those who chair a committee have considerable power in their ability to decide which bills get hearings. So some form of power sharing is appropriate.

After the Republican press conference, Bergren agreed to negotiate terms for committee assignments, and how that turns out remains to be seen. The GOP has more at its disposal than complaining to the media with 50 votes, the Republicans could block approval of the House rules for the session.

What a start that would be. It would be, oh-so 2007.