Lawmakers always start taking about overtime in Richmond.
Sometimes folks use it as a threat, suggesting that they could drag their feet on purpose to build pressure. Sometimes, state legislators simply need more time to hash through their differences, especially on state spending.
But this year the early overtime warning award goes to House Appropriations Chairman Lacey Putney, one of the state's most powerful lawmakers who holds significant sway over state purse strings.
Putney is already floating the idea that Virgina lawmakers might not be able to accomplish their work in Richmond on time this year, suggesting that the state legislature might need overtime to build federal health care reform into the state spending plan.
Here's the information from Adam Rhew over at NBC 29 with the quote from Putney:
Delegate Lacey Putney (I-19th District) is chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He has a suggestion for the upcoming session of the General Assembly, an intermission of sorts:
"The possibility of coming into session, maybe recessing, let the members go back, except the money committees working on the budget, in order to give us time to see what they're going to do in Washington."
Putney's idea was hatched as the Appropriations Committee considers a $77 billion budget amid uncertainties over healthcare reform in Washington, D.C. Depending on if and what kind of bill is passed could have direct impact on the Commonwealth's budget. So a pause for more up-to-date information makes sense from the perspective of Richmond.
It's not a radical idea in Richmond, where lawmakers have frequently run over in recent years thanks to deadlocked arguments or other hurdles. But it is an interesting idea to consider how issues and problems trickle down from Washington.
The session is already shaping up to be a really tough opening act for Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell, a Republican, who walks into a really ugly budget situation that has forced Gov. Timothy M.Kaine to cut $7 billion out of the state spending plan in the past two years.
With lawmakers already overworked thanks to looming difficult decisions on where to make further cuts, making a state budget work with new federal spending on health care reform cold prove tricky. It probably doesn't help Putney that he has lost some budget negotiators in recent months. Del. Clarke Hogan retired and Del. Phil Hamilton lost his re-election bid to Democrat Robin Abbott.
Hogan had been the "bad cop" negotiator in recent years, playing the role of attack dog during extended debates. Meanwhile, Hamilton was an expert on health care spending, especially on mental health. So there goes another important voice.
Keep an eye on Putney over the next few weeks and months.
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