Vince Dean

NASHVILLE — With just two weeks remaining before the start of the new fiscal year, senators on Tuesday postponed an expected vote on the 2009-2010 state budget until today.

In the House, meanwhile, a budget-related bill ran into trouble as tired representatives’ tempers flared over a provision designed to save the state money on hospitalizing seriously mentally ill people who pose a danger to themselves or others.

One House member warned colleagues of “insane people wandering around” unless a change was made, infuriating colleagues who saw it as an attempt to stampede them into voting for his amendment.

Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, requested the Senate delay, telling colleagues he wanted to provide them more time to review differences among competing budgets proposed by Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, Senate Republicans and a more bipartisan House measure.

Sen. Kyle said the governor’s fiscal year 2010 budget provides for 10.2 percent in reductions over the current budget, while Senate Republicans’ version calls for 10.3 percent in recession-driven cuts.

“Are you fiscally a conservative because you’re at 10.3 or are you fiscally irresponsible because you’re at 10.2?” Sen. Kyle asked. “We have to decide that soon. There are other differences not only of philosophy but of substance.”

Both chambers are seeking to avoid going to a conference committee.

Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said he believes “people are continuing to talk about whether the House can come any closer to us or whether we can come any closer to the House.”

The Senate version of the budget accelerates cuts in a number of areas due to the continued declined in revenues. It also eliminates bonds proposed by Gov. Bredesen for some $138 million in higher education capital projects including a $47.5 million new library for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The House version, so far, keeps the funding for UTC. Sen. Watson said the UTC project still could be funded under the Senate version.

Over in the House, members fought at length over a “technical corrections” bill. It raises about $58 million in revenue through steps such as closing off a tax “loophole” favoring certain family owned business entities and allowing the state revenue department to take over business tax collections from county clerks.

“Why are we not getting this bill earlier?” questioned Rep. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, noting lawmakers were being asked to “vote on a very large tax increase” at the “11th hour.”

The bill ultimately passed on a 52-44 vote with the support of 43 Democrats and nine Republicans including Speaker Kent Williams, R-Elizabethton.

But the margin was less than some had expected, and lawmakers soon were on to an even more difficult budget-related bill that had Democrats and Republicans fighting amongst themselves over language dealing with the state’s responsibility to house potentially dangerous mentally ill people.

Rep. Henry Fincher, D-Cookeville, pushed an amendment requiring the state to find a place in private facilities if there are no “suitable accommodations” available to house such patients in state mental health institutes.

When another lawmaker sought to table the amendment, Rep. Fincher warned they should vote against the tabling motion “unless you want to vote in favor” of potentially dangerous “insane people wandering around your communities.” He said there could be “blood” on “your hands.

The tabling motion failed, and as debate continued sponsors of the bill requested it be delayed until today.

Earlier Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, and other Senate Republicans crashed a Bredesen administration news conference to object to top officials’ characterization of their handling of pre-kindergarten funding as a first step toward “dismantling” the program.

“I guess some of us take this personally when you say we have the intent of dismantling the pre-k program,” Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, told Education Commissioner Tim Webb.

That came after Commissioner Webb told reporters “we were disappointed to see a Finance Committee budget amendment approved along partisan lines that we believe will begin the process of dismantling our nationally recognized pre-kindergarten program.”

Soon after, Lt. Gov. Ramsey challenged him, saying, “I can firmly tell you there’s no intent, no intent, to dismantle the pre-k program in the state of Tennessee,” Lt. Gov. Ramsey told the commissioner. “I can assure you that’s the case.”

In his budget proposal this year, Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed moving $22 million in funding from the lottery due to shortfalls and making it a recurring, or ongoing, appropriation from the general fund. Senate Republicans last week made it a one-time appropriation from the general fund.

In comments to reporters after leaving the news conference, Lt. Gov. Ramsey said he is opposed to “universal pre-k” but has supported the program in terms of it covering poorer children.