Session '11: Wohlgemuth and McCown

AUSTIN (KXAN) - On this edition of Session '11, Arlene Wohlgemuth of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Scott McCown of the Center for Public Policy Priorities discuss the Senate's passing of the budget. Also, Robert Garrett of the Dallas Morning News and Patti Kilday Hart of the Houston Chronicle participate in the onpolitix Panel.

TRANSCRIPT BELOW:

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst: "This isn't about the Rainy Day Fund. This is about 12 Senators wanted more money when I felt, our Republicans felt we had stretched to the limit."

Sen. Royce West: "So does this budget represent the best interest of the state of Texas? Or does this budget represent what the Republican party wants to do?

The Texas Senate has passed a budget. And there's still an ounce of hope left for Texans who want lawmakers to dip into the rainy day fund. A majority could sway a conference committee to make that move. But it would require a majority vote in the House or the Senate. Very unlikely, since both chambers already said "no" once. With just 21 days left, we're set for what could be a vicious battle ahead, here on Session 11.

Announcer: "From KXAN Austin News, this is Session 11. Live interactive breakdowns, insights, interviews, and our weekly roundtable discussion. You're watching Session 11 on KXAN Austin News."

Good morning. I'm Robert Hadlock. Thanks for joining us on Session 11. The Texas House has just selected conference committee members, only days after the Senate passed its version of the budget. It slashes 11 billion in state funding, with education and Medicaid taking the hardest blows. In a first for a budget bill, members bypassed the two-thirds rule to bring the heavily debated measure to the floor. And - to the dismay of Democrats - it passed without using any of the Rainy Day Fund.

Sen. John Whitmire: "It ain't a happy face. It can only be a bitter face that the poison network hands out that you put on solvents that your kids need to stay away from. I would put a bitter face on this, because you can't take $11 billion out of current services and not have harm and pain."

But the Senate's 176.5 billion dollar budget is still less severe than the House, spending about twelve billion more than the lower chamber. But how will that affect you? Right now, our political reporter, "Josh Hinkle", tells you how to interact with us this morning on our program. Josh?

Thanks, Robert. First, we've got a great onpolitix Panel lined up today with Robert Garrett from the Dallas Morning News and Patti Kilday Hart from the Houston Chronicle. You can take part in our budget round table this morning by logging onto kxan.com. While you're there, click on the onpolitix tab at the top. You'll go straight to our special political site, where you can check out my latest blog posts. Plus, click the blue bar at the top to chat with us. Our panel will field your questions later in the program. Robert?

Thanks, Josh. Our Newsmakers are leaders of two of the state's largest political advocacy groups. One has just launched a series of TV commercials calling on Texans to take charge of the budget. The other wrote a letter to Senators this week urging them directly to vote no on the budget bill. Arlene Wohlgemuth is executive director of the conservative research institute - the Texas Public Policy Foundation. And Scott McCown is executive director of the liberal think-tank - the Center for Public Policy Priorities. I spoke with them in the fallout of the Senate's budget decision.

WHAT THE GOVERNOR AND HOUSE
ARE SAYING, THEY'RE SAYING IN
THE GREATEST ECONOMIC DOWNTURN,
WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE OUR
ECONOMIC STABILIZATION FUND,
WHICH THE VOTERS CREATED FOR
THIS VERY PURPOSE, NOT TO COVER
MERELY A DEFICIT IN THE CURRENT
YEAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONSTITUTION,
IT COVERS A CURRENT YEAR
DEFICIT, WHEN YOU HAVE LESS
REVENUE THIS TIME THAN LAST TIME
OR WITH A TWO THIRDS VOTE FOR
ANY PURPOSE.
NOT DESIGNED FOR HURRICANES,
DESIGNED FOR A SEVERE DOWNTURN
CAUSING REVENUE TO COLLAPSE,
MEANING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
TAKE SERIOUS STEPS THAT ARE
GOING TO HURT TEXAS FAMILIES.
>> WE'VE ALREADY SPENT
$3 BILLION WITH WHICH WE GREED
IN THE CURRENT DEFICIT.
THE BUDGET THAT IS ADVOCATED,
SPENDING ANOTHER 20
FEBRUARY $000 MILLION WOULD BE
AN 18% INCREASE OVER THE NEXT
TWO YEARS AND $8 BILLION MORE
THAN THE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS TO 4
BE SPENT.
THAT NUMBER OF TRYING TO ADD IN
$27 BILLION IS NOT SUPPORTABLE.
>> WE'VE NEVER ARGUED FOR
$27 BILLION.
WE'VE SAID THAT CURRENT
SERVICES, TO DO THE SAME THING
NEXT TIME THAT WE'RE DOING THIS
TIME WOULD COST $27 BILLION.
THAT'S THE NUMBER OF WHAT YOU
WOULD NEED TO MAINTAIN CURRENT
SERVICES.
NEVER A THOUGHT THAT WE COULD DO
THAT.
THE THOUGHT WAS WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO HAVE TO BALANCED
APPROACH, THAT HAS SOME CUTS,
SOME SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT FROM THE
RAINY DAY FUND AND SOME NEW
REVENUE, AND THAT'S WHAT WITH HE
DON'T HAVE.
>> I'DING EAGER TO HEAR WHAT
CUTS YOU WOULD ADVOCATE, BECAUSE
YOU SAID

IN THE STATEMENT ON
LINE CHAT AFTER THE GOVERNOR
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS YOU
CAN TIE ME DOWN AND TORTURE ME,
BUT I'M STILL NOT GOING TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT TO CUT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, I'M NOT,
BECAUSE YOU DO A FINE JOB OF
TALKING ABOUT CUTTING, ARLENE.
I'M TAKING THE SAME APPROACH
THAT TURNER TOOK, SERIOUS CUTS
TO HIGHER ED OR DENYING PEOPLE
HEALTH CARE, I'M NOT GOING TO
SIT DOWN AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT
THAT.
I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW
WE DO THE MOST WE CAN TO MEET
THE NEEDS OF TEXANS.
>> OTHER STATES THAT HAVE
EXTRAVAGANT SOCIAL SERVICES,
THEY SPEND FAR MORE IN NEW YORK
ON EDUCATION THAN WE DO HAVE
LOST THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE JOBS
FOR THEIR PEOPLE.
FROM MARCH OF 2010 TO MARCH OF
2011, TEXAS CREATED MORE JOBS
THAT BE ANY OF THE OTHER FOUR 5
MOST POPULAR STATES.
THESE JOBS ARE BRINGING PEOPLE
TO TEXAS IN DROVES.
>> THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT JOBS
IS CONFUSING PEOPLE.
TEXAS HAVE AMONG THE HIGHEST
PROPORTION OF LOW WAGE JOBS IN
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
OUR FOLKS DON'T MAKE MONEY.
WE HAVE LOTS OF LOW WAGE JOBS,
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT INVESTING IN
EDUCATION, AND TIER ONE
UNIVERSITIES AND THE THINGS WE
NEED TO DO TO CREATE A VIBRANT
ECONOMY.
THE JOBS WE HAVE CREATED IN
LARGE PART ARE DUE TO OIL AND
GAS OR OTHER EXTRACTION.
YOU HAVE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
THE THINGS GOD HAS GIVEN YOUR
STATE AND THE THINGS PUBLIC
POLICY THAT CREATED.
ARLENE WANTS TO TAKE CREDIT FOR
WHAT GOD HAS DONE AND KEEP US
WITH PUBLIC POLICIES THAT ARE
ACTUALLY HINDERING OUR POLICY.
>> IF IT WERE SOCIAL SERVICES
THAT BROUGHT PEOPLE TO A STATE
AND CALIFORNIA HAS A WONDERFUL
CLIMATE, AND HAS THE SIZE AND
THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT YOU
FIND IN TEXAS, BUT THE SOCIAL
SERVICES ARE FAR, FAR HIGHER,
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THOSE LOW
IN COME JOBS, WOULDN'T YOU THINK
THEY'D STAY IN CALIFORNIA
INSTEAD OF COMING TO TEXAS?
THEY PREFER A JOB TO SOCIAL
SERVICES, AND TEXAS, BECAUSE WE
HAVE BEEN A LOW-TAX STATE, WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP OUR JOB
CREATION HIGH, THAT IS WHY
PEOPLE ARE COMING TO TEXAS.
>> TAXES ARE HIGHER IN
CALIFORNIA.
>> TAXES ARE, AND WE'RE NOT
TALKING ABOUT BEING IN
CALIFORNIA OR NEW YORK.
WE ARE SO FAR BELOW JUST BEING
AVERAGE THAT IT'S ASTOUNDING 6
HOWEVER WE ARE OFF ON THE
AVERAGE.
TEXAS HAS A LOT OF LAND AND HAS
CHEAP HOUSING PRICES, AND HAS
OIL AND GAS, AND HAS A LOT OF
LOW-WAGE JOBS, THAT IS NOT A
TICKET TO THE FUTURE.
TICKET TO THE FUTURE IS TO HAVE
A STRONG PUBLIC EDUCATION
SYSTEM.
FOLKS AREN'T GOING TO COME TO
TEXAS IF WE HAVE REALLY
DECIMATED OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION
SYSTEM, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO
CREATE THE KINDS OF INNOVATORS
AND ENTREPRENEURS IF WE WANT IF
WE DEVASTATE OUR HIGHER
EDUCATION SYSTEM.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE A SPECIAL
SESSION, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK
THE SENATE CAN ABIDE THE HOUSE
BUDGET.
I'LL GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THE
HOUSE MEMBERS THEMSELVES, IF IT
WERE A SECRET BALLOT, THEY
WOULDN'T VOTE FOR THE HOUSE
BUDGET.
IT IS A TERRIBLE BUDGET, AND
IT'S ONLY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
OUTSIDE PRESSURE GROUPS, AND
I'LL GIVE ARLENE HER DUE THAT
HAVE CREATED THAT HOUSE BUDGET,
THEY WOULDN'T DO IT ON THEIR
OWN.
>> THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY
PRIORITIES YESTERDAY OR DAY
BEFORE, I THINK ON MAY THREE, I
SHOULD A LIST OF REVENUE
OPTIONS, INCLUDING NON-TAX
REVENUE, AS WELL AS TAX REVENUE
OF THE $30 BILLION THAT THEY
RECOMMENDED.
>> WE DIDN'T RECOMMEND.
IT'S A LIST OF OPTIONS,
EVERYTHING YOU COULD CONSIDER,
UP TO $30 BILLION.
>> THERE WAS A SALES TAX
INCREASE.
THE SALES TAX INCREASES WERE IN
THE LIST AMOUNTED TO $8 BILLION 7
IN SALES TAX REVENUE FROM A
TEMPORARY RATE INCREASE TO BRING
IN $3 BILLION, OR $5 BILLION IN
EXPANDING THE BASE.
THE SALES TAX REVENUE IS FIRST
OF ALL, NOBODY REALLY BELIEVES
THERE'S EVER A TEMPORARY TAX,
BUT I DON'T SEE THE PEOPLE
HAVING STRONG SUPPORT FOR A TAX
INCREASE, AND LAST MONTH, IN A
TEXAS MONTHLY ROUND TABLE THAT
WE PARTICIPATED IN, HE INDICATED
THAT TEXAS IN THE LONG RUN IS
GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A STATE
INCOME TAX, AND THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT ONLY 6% OF TEXANS
AGREE WITH.
TEXANS ARE NOT INCLINED TO VOTE
FOR A TAX INCREASE.
IF THEY ARE NOT, THEN THE
LEGISLATURE HAS TO DO WHAT THE
PEOPLE HAVE SAID AND LIVE WITHIN
AVAILABLE REVENUE, SET THOSE
PRIORITIES.
>> FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES.
>> ARLENE IS PLAYING A SHELL
GAME HERE, BECAUSE WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT THE SENATE BUDGET.
YOU CAN GET IT WITHIN REVENUE
WITH NO NEW TAX WHATSOEVER.
THE QUESTION IS ARE WE GOING TO
GET THE SENATE BUDGET WITHIN
AVAILABLE REVENUE, WE CAN DO
THAT, OR ARE WE GOING TO USE THE
GREAT RECESSION AS AN
OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REALLY CARRY
OUT AN ANTI-PUBLIC SECTOR
AGENDA.

It was on their minds, and I'm sure its on many of yours. What should lawmakers do with the Rainy Day Fund? Save it all. Save some, spend some. Or spend it all. Log on to kxan.com and answer our onpolitix Poll. We'll see what you have to say at the end of the program.

Rep. Sylvester Turner: "All members, whether they are present or anywhere in the state

of Texas that they be brought back to the Texas House before business is conducted on this day."

Senators weren't having all the fun this week. Coming up, a Republican supermajority stretches its power in the House. Stay with Session 11.

Rep. Brandon Creighton: "We've had parliamentary procedure used as trench warfare to keep this bill from being considered."

Rep. Craig Eiland: "You're about to make a bad day that we've had here much worse."

Welcome back to Session 11. High drama on the House floor with several shouting matches breaking out - and lawmakers approving a bill under controversial circumstances. It was all over the latest of Governor Rick Perry's emergency items -- tort reform. First though, some big scores for the governor, as he saw the first two of those emergencies pass through to his desk this week. The sonogram bill and the eminent domain bill are now both set to become law. Josh joins us again to talk about the chaos surrounding the latest bill kicked into high gear.

Tort reform, the so-called "loser pays" lawsuit reform bill. The governor just made it an emergency item on Friday -- a somewhat surprising call so late in the session. Regardless, the Republican supermajority is trying to push it through quickly. And in the first Saturday session so far, they busted out one of their most powerful, yet unusual tools.

Rep. Craig Eiland: "We're now here at two o'clock before Mother's Day. People are testy. People are tired."

Representative Brandon Creighton said three days was enough... that Democrats were using the House rules to stall his lawsuit reform bill and hold up the House.

Rep. Brandon Creighton: "Everyone on this floor has measures to be considered that are very important following this bill we have to get to."

Every member mattered today, as the House barely had the necessary quorum to take action. Many Republicans were nowhere to be found.

Rep. Sylvester Turner: "Until DPS goes wherever they need to go to bring all members back to the Texas House of Representatives and that the doors be locked."

Democrats scoffed at the measure they say protects big corporations but not the "little man" seeking to sue them. Despite that protest, the GOP used a rarely taken but perfectly legal move - suspending the rules.

Rep. Larry Taylor: "We're here. We're ready to work, and we're not being offered that opportunity to work with our colleagues on the Democratic side."

Republicans had the exact amount of members on the floor to push the bill through without any amendments and no debate.

Eiland: "Are you recognizing for that motion to be made at this bill at this time without a single amendment being offered by any member of the House?"

Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer: "You're the chair. You're the arbiter of these rules. We threw out a chair, because they didn't enforce the rules. If you don't want to enforce the rules, that's on you."

With their supermajority, Republicans can make this move at anytime for any bill -- this was a first for this session.

Rep. Mark Strama: "We have to watch out for the precedents that we're setting. When we set a precedent that says we're going to suspend rules when they get in our way, we really make ourselves vulnerable to having processes that are purely driven by the majority."

The bill's author said, when the House gets to final passage on Monday, members can debate and amend all they want to. Keep in mind, it takes a lofty two thirds vote for amendments on final passage. Once again a process not in favor of the Democratic voice. If you have something to say about that, join us online. Our onpolitix Panel is standing by to field your questions. Just go to onpolitix.com and chat with us here on Session 11.

Sen. John Whitmire: "You either wasted a hell of a lot of money in the last two years, which I know is not the case, or we're making some severe cuts."

Sen. Steve Ogden: "It does not hurt the economy."

Sen. Rodney Ellis: "We don't fund growth in this budget."

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst: "We'll be able to eliminate the structural shortfall. We'll be in good shape in 2013."

The state budget passed the Senate and is now on to what's sure to be a heated conference committee between the two chambers. Welcome back to Session 11. For an inside look at that challenge and what's happening at the Capitol, we turn to our onpolitix Panel. Robert Garrett is a reporter for the Dallas Morning News. And Patti Kilday Hart is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. Our "Josh Hinkle" also joins the panel to field your online chat questions. Welcome.

WE HAD THE SENATE WHERE THE
RULES WERE CHANGED UP, ALL
WITHIN LEGALITIES OF COURSE, TO
PASS THE BUDGET.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF
THAT, DO YOU THINK?
>> WE DON'T KNOW THE
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE SENATE FOR
THE FUTURE.
THEY HAVE REALLY STIRRED UP THE
DEMOCRATS BY BASICALLY
ELIMINATING THEIR ONLY LEVERAGE,
BUT THE BUDGET CONSEQUENCES ARE
THAT THE SENATE GOES IN
$10 BILLION HIGHER THAN WANT
HOUSE, WHICH IS, YOU

KNOW, A CUT
OF ABOUT 7% IN CURRENT SPENDING,
BUT IT'S REALLY MORE LIKE 16%
CUT BASED ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE
TO SERVE THE GROWING POPULATION
AND FACTORING IN INFLATION.
I THINK THE HOUSE IS WILLING TO
COME UP ON EDUCATION, BUT
PROBABLY NOT ON OTHER THINGS
NEEDED TO KEEP NURSING HOMES
OPEN.
THAT'S MY GUESS.
I THINK THE COMPLICATION IS NOT
JUST GETTING A BUDGET, BUT IT'S
ALL THESE OTHER BILLS THAT THEY
NEED TO UNDERGIRD THE AMOUNT
THAT THEY'RE DOING, SOME OF IT 12
SMOKE AND MIRRORS.
>> ONE THING I FIND INTERESTING
THIS SESSION IS HOW OFF-LIMITS
THE RAINY DAY FUND HAS BECOME.
WE ALL KNOW THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN
THAT WAY IN THE PAST, THAT IT'S
BEEN SPENT FOR ANY NUMBER OF
THINGS.
I TALKED TO RICK PERRY THIS WEEK
ABOUT THAT.
HE IN FACT DIPPED INTO IT, ASKED
LAWMAKERS TO FUND THE TEXAS
ENTERPRISE FUND.
IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING THAT
IT'S BECOME AN OFF-LIMITS
SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
IT'S GOT $9 BILLION IN IT.
IT'S TAX MONEY THAT'S ALREADY
BEEN COLLECTED SITTING THERE.
FOR SOME REASON, MOSTLY BECAUSE
OUTSIDE CONSERVATIVE GROUPS HAVE
DEEMED IT TO BE OFF-LIMITS, IT'S
BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THE -- IT'S NO
LONGER A FACTOR IN BALANCING OUR
BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SET
UP TO DO EXACTLY THAT, TO HELP
CUSHION DOWNTURNS IN THE
ECONOMY.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF FASCINATING
THAT SOMEHOW, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO
TALK ABOUT USING THE RAINY DAY
FUND THIS YEAR.
>> IT WAS, AS SCOTT MCCLELLAN
WAS POINTING OUT, AN ECONOMIC
STABILIZATION FUND WHEN IT WAS
CREATED IN THE LAST HORRIBLE
BUDGET TIMES IN THE 1980'S IN
TEXAS, BUT NOW IT'S THE CLIMATE
STABILIZATION FUND, BECAUSE THE
GOVERNOR ANNUAL TALKS ABOUT
HURRICANES AND TSUNAMIS THAT
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SAVE IT FOR.
AND WILDFIRES.
>> IT WAS FOUND THAT THE STATE
OF TEXAS EXPENSES FOR CLEANING
UP AFTER RITA AND IKE WERE
$9 BILLION.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS WE NEED TO
SAVE IT FOR FUTURE HURRICANES,
BUT OUR LAST TWO WOULD BE A DROP 13
IN THE BUCKET FOR THAT.
>> THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE
TELLS US IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS
A DAY.
IF IT GOES ON FOR A YEAR, IT'S
$365 MILLION.
>> WHEN WE USED TO USE IT, IT
WAS A SMALL COUPLE OF BILLION
DOLLARS AVAILABLE EACH SESSION,
AND ONE OF THE REASONS IT'S A
BIG DEAL NOW IS THE FACT THAT WE
CUT PROPERTY TAXES IN 2006 AND
DIDN'T FULLY FINANCE THAT, AND
THAT WAS A BATTLE BETWEEN
GOVERNOR PERRY AND HE WANTED TO
GET RID OF THE RAINY DAY
BALANCE.
WE SAID WE ARE NOT SURE WE CAN
PAY FOR THESE PROPERTY TAX CUTS.
THAT'S WHY IT'S AMOUNTED TO MORE
AND MORE MONEY AND IT'S A BIGGER
DEAL.
IT'S MORE AN IDEOLOGICAL ISSUE
THAN IT'S A REAL MONEY
PRACTICEALITY.
>> ONE THING PEOPLE ARE TALKING
ABOUT ON CHAT, THEY THOUGHT WHAT
THE REPUBLICANS DID, PUSHING THE
BUDGET THROUGH, AND YESTERDAY
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TORT
REFORM BILL, DO YOU THINK
REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO BE LIKE
THAT FOR THE REST OF THE
SESSION?
>> I THINK THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE
LEADERSHIP PROBABLY WISHES THEY
HADN'T COME IN YESTERDAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING
TO DO.
THE DEMOCRATIC TACTICS ON THE
OTHER HAND SEEM TO BE SORT OF IN
DIS--INDISCRIMINATELY TRYING TO
STOP ANYTHING.
THEY MAY COME BACK SWEETENED
AFTER MOTHER'S DAY, OR IT MAY BE
THIS WAY FOR THE REST OF THE
SESSION.
>> THE TRIAL LAWYERS.
>> TEACHERS GROUPS.
>> WHERE DO YOU SEE IT GOING? 14
>> I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE ALL OF
THOSE BILLS OR A LOT OF THEM ARE
BILLS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS
PUSHED FORWARD AS EMERGENCIES
AND THINGS WHEN THE BILLS THEY
REALLY NEED TO PASS, BACK TO THE
THING I WAS TALKING ABOUT, IS IT
REALLY AT RISK RIGHT NOW ARE
THESE LITTLE BILLS THAT GO ALONG
WITH THE BUDGET THAT MAKE IT
WORK AND KEEP US OUT OF SPECIAL
SESSION, THESE BILLS CAN'T COME
UP UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS
AGENDA.
>> ONE OF THE THEMES OF THIS
SESSION IS HOW DO THE DEMOCRATS
WHEN THEY ARE SO POWERLESS,
THEIR NUMBERS SO LOW COMPARED TO
THE NUMBERS OF REPUBLICANS, HOW
DO THEY LAUNCH AN EFFECTIVE
OPPOSITION.
I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE FOUND
THAT YET.
I THINK JUST BLOWING THINGS UP
MAKES THEM LOOK REALLY BAD.
THEY'RE GETTING IN THE WAY OF
PASSING THINGS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY ARE
GOING TO LOSE LEGISLATION THAT
THEY WANT PASSED.
I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN A SMART
STRATEGY SO FAR EMERGING.
>> DO YOU THINK WE'RE HEADING
FOR A SPECIAL SESSION?
>> LIKE I SAY, I THINK THEY CAN
AVOID IT.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE THAT FAR
APART TO GET A DEAL ON THE
BUDGET, BUT I THINK THERE ARE SO
MANY BALLS IN THE AIR THAT WE
COULD HAVE A QUICK SPECIAL
SESSION TO EVEN FINISH THOSE.
I'M MORE OPTIMISTIC NOW.
>> I THINK SO.

Thanks for joining us. Session 11 is back after the break.

Arlene Wohlgemuth: "So are we going to spend our Rainy Day Fund now and have absolutely nothing should the state be hit with a bad hurricane?"

Scott McCown: "You've got a life jacket, but when the boat goes down, you don't keep the life jacket on the boat."

The Rainy Day Fund, definitely hot topic for our newsmakers. Online now at kxan.com, you can watch their entire interview with Robert. While you're there,