Dillon said based on his experience with Senate Republicans in past budget negotiations, they would not compromise until they hit a deadline. He said the House version was Democrats' last best offer. Democrats and Republicans accused one another of walking out of negotiations Wednesday evening.
Mike Bishop was shocked! shocked I tell you! that the tables were finally turned.
"Have you ever seen anything like this? I know I haven't," Bishop said after the House vote. "For them to just bolt and go home is cowardice, especially after all the time we spent negotiating today."
Um... let me think... why, yes. Yes I have seen something like this before. Matter of fact, the Senate Democrats were so frustrated that the Republicans walked out one day in September that they actually pulled out a camera and filmed the empty chamber. So spare us the faux outrage and name-calling, OK, Mike? This is actually quite common.
A brief recap of yesterday. Late afternoon, the Senate Republicans put what MIRS said was their "final offer on the table". When the words "final offer" or "last opportunity" are used, usually you think that's it, right? Turns out Republicans weren't really serious when they said that; they considered the negotiations still open.
Republican Sen. Jud Gilbert of Algonac, a key negotiator on the service tax bill, said on the House floor: "I'm stunned. We were negotiating with them and they walked down here and did this."
They tried a bully tactic and it backfired. The House stood up for responsibility...
"We passed a proposal that was supported by the business community, one that protects funding for education, health care and public safety," Bird said. "There hasn't been a genuine willingness to compromise, and we have passed our plan."
... and they left the gape-jawed Republicans in the dust. Republicans immediately rejected being responsible, of course, and started clamoring for them to come back and play some more.
The Senate rejected the House plan along mostly partisan lines, and called for a conference committee to work out differences, possibly today. Senate Republicans sent a request to House Speaker Andy Dillon, R-Redford Township, to call the House back to an emergency session Friday to try again to replace the service tax.
Republicans are still insisting on a sunset and one-time gimmicks, which breaks the budget deal and leaves our future shaky. Why not let a future legislative body decide whether to repeal the amount? Good question, one that no one seems willing to ask.
Instead, we cue the noise machine in the form of the disingenuous Tricia Kinley, who used the word "shocking" and pointed fingers at the House (didn't know the Michigan Chamber of Commerce was a partisan outfit, did you? ha ha), and cue the rumors that the Republicans are doing this just so Brooks Patterson will have something to yell about as he starts yet another budget destructing petition drive next year. The House Democrats stood up, and the Republicans and their puppet-masters don't quite know what to do about it yet.
When you get past all the noise, the fact is that the Senate Republicans are responsible for this service tax going forward. They know what needs to be done, they refuse to do it, and more of your time and tax dollars will be wasted on their game.
But it isn't Friday yet, so we will see how loud the screaming gets in the next 48 hours. Stand tough, Speaker Dillon.