How to Make the Budget Better

Dear Hecate :

We just got our budget amendment submitted to the House Ways and Means budget in Massachusetts. And, although we called around to all 40 of the cosigners of our original bill, only 32 signed on. Some of the Chairs told us that they never sign on as co-sponsors, and others just never responded. How do we get all of our sponsors to sign on to the amendment. I was told by the clerks office that they may be able to call in during vacation week to get their names on as supporters. Does it make sense for us to try? Will it make a difference?

Frustrated in Framingham


Hecate says.

While individual legislators may still call into the House clerk’s office to get their name added to any amendment it is important for advocates to understand that their energies should be primarily directed at getting key opinion leaders to deliver a personal note of support to the Speaker or the Chair of W&M on their amendment. (Especially chairs who said they could not/would not add their names to any amendments other than those that directly affected their district and or a “technical amendment” that addressed a substantive committee issue.)

Starting today, smart and savvy advocates are focusing on finding ways to get their key, most influential inside and outside advocates to deliver personal one-on-one messages to the Speaker and the Chair of Ways and Means that says……I/we really care about this specific amendment and this language/level of appropriation will satisfy me/us”.

Starting on Thursday the 13th staff from House Ways and Means began sorting out all amendments into subsets that generally fall within the departments and agencies of the budget itself , for instance the judiciary, the executive and all the individual departments, agencies, commissions within each department

Then the staff will sort out all the amendments by line item producing a document for House Leadership and the Chair of HW&M Committee that lists, by line item, all the amendments to every department and agency. The list of sponsors and cosponsors for each amendment are available by amendment for sure, and in the past, staff have complied a cross list of legislators listing all the amendments they sponsored and cosponsored.

At some point during the “vacation” week (for everybody but H W&M Staff) there will be a meeting of key House Leaders including the Chair and some members of W&M, and they will come to some conclusions about which amendments should be accepted based on the number and substance of the amendments, the number of key influential members of the House supporting the amendments and the number of well organized outside advocates who support the amendments. Staff will be then be directed to begin to draft the so-called consolidated amendments for each department, agency and line item in the budget.

When the debate begins (scheduled for April 24) the Chair of Ways and Means will move the bill into third reading, and make a defense of his budget and the Republicans will no doubt go on some about the lack of a tax cut. They may even bring up an individual amendment on revenues, or rules for the debate just to let the Republicans make their points before being voted down.

At some point --- and nobody now knows when – i.e. Monday evening, Tuesday evening, the Speaker or whoever is in the chair will begin a series of announcements “Members interested in the consolidated amendment for the (Department of Mental Health) (Department of Public Health) (Department for Environmental Affairs) (Department of Highways) etc etc will meet in the adjoining room to discuss a consolidated amendment. These “discussions” will NOT follow the order of the line items in the budget.

In the adjoining room “interested” members will be given a “draft” consolidated amendment and the Chair or Vice Chair, or a selected Committee Chair will facilitate a discussion and members will argue and negotiate forcefully if their amendment is not included, or is poorly worded. Some times they run out to the advocates standing in the lobby to get suggestions for language changes, sometimes they run into the Speakers office to complain and ask him to intercede.

While there is not an official vote inside the caucus there is always a decision announced by the presiding chair of the caucus about how the “draft” consolidated amendment has been changed, and every one in the caucus gets a printed copy. The presiding chair of the caucus goes into the House Chamber to describe the consolidated amendment and ask for a vote of the body. Members who got their amendment will stand up and say it’s a great compromise. Members who did not get their amendment will express their disappointment. (Under the rules any member can pull their amendment and offer it independently, in the full knowledge that the amendment will be rejected on a voice vote.)

Everything is strategy and timing here for the House Leadership – because they do want to finish in a timely manner, and cobble together a general consensus at the same time. The goal is to give key opinion leaders in the House something to brag about, feel good about and something that will satisfy key outside advocates.

So-- at last-- the answer to your question is --- start organizing inside and outside key opinion makers in the House to do personal notes to the Speaker and Chair of Ways and Means so that your individual amendment can be included in the draft consolidated amendment.