An angry Republican state lawmaker has filed an open records request for information on Gov. Sonny Perdue's recent budget decisions.
Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), who chairs the powerful House Rules Committee, filed the request because, he says, the governor has overstepped his authority.
"You have an executive branch that just does not recognize the legislative branch's participation in the budget process," he says. "It's all their way or no way, and that's unfortunate."
This is another stage in the battle between House leaders and Perdue over spending instructions lawmakers tried to include in the 2008 budget. Perdue told state agencies to ignore the directions because they did not belong in the budget. He then called a meeting of the fiscal affairs committee, a special committee of legislative leaders, to shift around budget dollars.
Ehrhart says he has requested correspondence between the Office of Planning and Budget and five state agencies regarding the fiscal affairs committee.
Perdue has invited lawmakers with concerns over the budget to meet with him.
"I'll skip daddy's lecture," Ehrhart says. The meeting "would be a lecture from daddy on how we’re doing it wrong."
Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), who chairs the powerful House Rules Committee, filed the request because, he says, the governor has overstepped his authority.
"You have an executive branch that just does not recognize the legislative branch's participation in the budget process," he says. "It's all their way or no way, and that's unfortunate."
This is another stage in the battle between House leaders and Perdue over spending instructions lawmakers tried to include in the 2008 budget. Perdue told state agencies to ignore the directions because they did not belong in the budget. He then called a meeting of the fiscal affairs committee, a special committee of legislative leaders, to shift around budget dollars.
Ehrhart says he has requested correspondence between the Office of Planning and Budget and five state agencies regarding the fiscal affairs committee.
Perdue has invited lawmakers with concerns over the budget to meet with him.
"I'll skip daddy's lecture," Ehrhart says. The meeting "would be a lecture from daddy on how we’re doing it wrong."
