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House Democrats are serving on the Republican-controlled budget committee, but do they have any sway?

RALEIGH Eight state House Democrats, including Rep. Elmer Floyd of Fayetteville and Rep. Marvin Lucas of Spring Lake, were invited to the Republican-controlled table to help negotiate the final version of the $22.9 billion North Carolina budget this month.

But in a legislature where the Republicans hold veto-proof majorities, does being invited to that table have real meaning for the Democrats?

Lucas said there is some note to it, but he does not expect to have much influence.

House and Senate lawmakers began meeting behind closed doors this past Monday to work out their differences in the budget, which they are supposed to pass into law no later than June 30. Lucas said on Thursday said he had not yet been invited to attend one of the work sessions.

Still, Lucas is hopeful that he will be able to protect a $5.5 million request that Cumberland Countys lawmakers put in for construction of a fitness center at Fayetteville State University. There are other items he has an interest in, he said. He wouldnt discuss them, as that would be showing his cards to the Senate.

In these negotiations, Lucas said, its better to keep quiet about what you want because the other side can use that against you.

Another Democrat, state Rep. William Brisson of Bladen County, also is on the conference committee. He was more optimistic than Lucas on having a say on the final budget. Brisson expects to have some input on health and human service matters, which have been a focus for him during his legislative career.

Brisson may have more sway than the legislatures other Democrats because he often votes with the Republicans on partisan issues. He also is a co-chairman of one of the Houses budget committees, an unusually high position for a Democrat.

In all, 13 House Democrats voted for the Houses version of the budget.

In serving on the budget conference committee, House Democrats are faring better than their Senate counterparts. No Democratic senators were appointed.

Thats no surprise when the Senate approved its edition of the budget on May 11, the Democrats conducted a scripted, theater-like debate to that harshly criticized the Republican-drafted spending plan and praised Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers proposals.

State Sen. Ben Clark of Hoke and Cumberland counties said this was his idea, an effort to gain more public attention for the Democrats ideas.

The Senate Democrats added salt when the budget came up with its final Senate vote shortly after midnight on the morning of May 12, a Friday. The final vote scheduled for that time was to meet the constitutions requirement that the budget must be voted on twice, and on separate calendar days.

Historically, if the second vote comes shortly after midnight, the lawmakers only briefly debate and then conduct a vote that is essentially pro forma.

The Democrats werent having that. They repeatedly filed amendments to the budget, dragging the debate toward 1 a.m. while the Republicans had to spend time shooting them down.

Finally, the Republicans stopped the session for two hours. They came back around 3 a.m. with their own amendment. They took money for education programs in some Democratic districts.

Then the Republicans approved the whole budget over the Democrats' objections.

And that worked out well for the Democrats, Clark said. The maneuvers generated a lot of publicity for the Democrats and their budget position, he said, and criticism of the Republicans.

This is publicity the Democrats hope to carry into the next elections.

Staff writer Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@fayobserver.com, 486-3512 and 261-4710.

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Capitol Affairs: Democrats get seats at the Republicans' budget table - Fayetteville Observer