Quotes from today's 5-4 Supreme Court ruling on the federal health care law

Don't have time to read the full 193 pages from today's 5-4 Supreme Court decision? Here are some pull quotes from the opinions . . . READ MORE

Caseload forecast gives budget slightly more wiggle room

Lawmakers received some good news today with the state's caseload forecast adding approximately $56 million to the minuscule budget ending fund balance. Had the caseload forecast instead gone the other way and resulted in an increase of $56 million in costs, the balance sheet for only the general fund would have been a negative $33 million . . . READ MORE

Judge: 'You're telling me a court in this state has no right to look into whether the Legislature followed the law?'

If the fact a Judge had to ask this question is troubling to you, the response by the state won't make you feel any better. As reported by the Tri-City Herald on yesterday's roll-your-own cigarette tax hearing . . . READ MORE

Are laws binding on the Legislature?

Based on a state brief in the roll-your-own cigarette "tax" lawsuit being heard today at 2 p.m. in Franklin County,  lawmakers may be able to ignore a law without first repealing it by passing a new law. It looks like this means that even if the Supreme Court were to eventually settle the constitutionality of the supermajority requirement for tax increases, if a future Legislature were to pass a tax increase in violation of that law without first repealing it, such action would appear to be deemed appropriate by the Attorney General's Office. This novel argument epitomizes the need for the people to be provided the opportunity to vote on constitutional supermajority vote requirements for tax increases . . . READ MORE

OFM considering sole-source contract for federal health care law communications strategy

Next week the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide the fate of the controversial federal health care law. With the Court's ruling less than a week a way it was interesting to see the following sole-source contract notice posted yesterday by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) . . . READ MORE