Posted on 04/01/2012 1:56:09 PM PDT by SmithL
NASHVILLE Outnumbered Democratic legislators say their ideas are being ignored or sometimes stolen by majority Republicans who are "rubber-stamping" questionable GOP-generated legislation in a rush toward adjournment of the 107th General Assembly.
Republican leaders say the Democrats are being treated fairly, though some politically-motivated proposals are scrapped quickly. Democrats did the same thing, Republicans say, in the days when they were in power.
Democratic discontent reached a session high point last week when the party's entire legislative leadership boycotted the traditional weekly bipartisan breakfast hosted by Gov. Bill Haslam for lawmakers of both parties.
The move revolved around what Democrats saw as gubernatorial aides reneging on an agreement with House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh in his efforts to negotiate modest compromises to Haslam's civil-service reform bill (HB2384).
Fitzhugh withdrew a series of amendments in the belief they would be replaced by compromise versions approved by Mark Cate, senior advisor to the governor, who had voiced a hope for bipartisan action on the bill. But then he was told there was no agreement.
"I got my legs cut out from under me," said Fitzhugh.
The bill, which would basically abolish the current civil-service system and replace it with one that some Democrats see as giving the governor too much power to bring patronage into the hiring and firing of state workers, is perhaps one of the most hotly-argued policy issues of the current legislative session.
Railroaded, or fairly debated?
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
Democrats running away...again.
.
The Republicans should just quote our dear leader. “We won”. And attribute the quote.
Tennessee ‘Rat ping
A dose of their own medicne for the last 200 years or so.
The Dems conveniently forgot about the shenanigans that they played with Jimmy Naifeh at the helm.
Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it Dems?
A five year old can understand it.
You mean like the House and Senate Demoncrats did to the Republican members congress when jamming Obamacare down our collective throats? Like that? Life just ain't fair sometimes, but don't worry, the demoncrats will make all fair and equal one day.
Waah waah waah.
Progressives: forever the victims.
I lived in Tennessee until 10 years ago. This is justifiable payback. I think Naifeh retired but I would like to think he could experience it firsthand. He whined while he was doing it.
Hey Dem’s!
If you quit “railroading” us at the Federal level, we’ll quit doing it at the State level.....
Deal?
Beat me to it, f, though I’d have spelled it differently.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
“Democratic legislators say their ideas are ignored”
“Democratic ideas”?? The only ideas they have have had for the last 50 years are 1) continued enlargement of the government; 2) enslavement of all formerly free men; 3) government owning your very life; 4) killing innocent babies; 5) forced euthanization of all useless eaters (ie, people over 50); 6) US giving up all war fighting capabilities; 7) compulsory union membership for 100% of workers; 8) debasement of our currency; 9) fiscal irresponsibility; 10) no energy production; and 11) wide open borders.
Did I miss anything on their platform of “ideas”?
If these Tennessee Republicans are standing up to the Democrats and taking charge and enacting conservative ideas, they should be removed from office and sent directly to Washington.
It’s OK when THEY do it.
BS
LOL
This is like Saddam complaining about his treatment in jail.
How would you like to have Jimmy for a neighbor? He can now devote all his time to having coon suppers.
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