[Speed Gibson,
Saturday July 30, 2005 at 10:57pm]
Accounting Shift
We hold state office elections every two years, the House each cycle, the Senate and Executives every other cycle. The first task a newly elected official meets is our onerous bienneial budget process. The Governor has to scramble to present a baseline budget in a matter of weeks. Those new to the Legislature have to quickly assess the workings of the budget process. That Governor Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature did such a great job in 2003 is by far the exception as 2005 proved with the same folks in charge.
Why not shift the fiscal biennium to end in even years instead of odd years? There would be two benefits:
Even now we heard some calls for elections this year in response to the shutdown. Would Dean Johnson have been so bold as to adjourn at 9:30 pm June 30? Would Tim Pawlenty have been so bold in raising taxes? Would anyone vote for a stadium in a September special session with elections in November? I think not.
The process seems simple enough, though it may require an Amendment to do it. Shorten the next biennium to one year, then resume two year biennums.
Why not shift the fiscal biennium to end in even years instead of odd years? There would be two benefits:
- New electees have more time to learn how the budget process works, and spend time preparing for the battles still a year out.
- When the process breaks down, elections are soon at hand while memories are fresh. More to the point, maybe they'll act more responsibly if elections are just a few months out.
Even now we heard some calls for elections this year in response to the shutdown. Would Dean Johnson have been so bold as to adjourn at 9:30 pm June 30? Would Tim Pawlenty have been so bold in raising taxes? Would anyone vote for a stadium in a September special session with elections in November? I think not.
The process seems simple enough, though it may require an Amendment to do it. Shorten the next biennium to one year, then resume two year biennums.