Governor, legislative leadership to hold sitdown

The great cumbersome Winnebago of the budget process, which has thus far been driven by the Governor and Legislature on the extreme righthand side of the road with its blinkers on, may finally be moving into the diamond lane.

Last week, the Legislature came within a hair's breadth of sending something budget-related - though decidedly not a budget, as House Majority Leader Tom Boone (R-Peoria) was sure to reiterate at length - to Gov. Napolitano. Today they finally succeeded, ironing out a tiny wrinkle that had tripped it up last Thursday and sending it to the Executive Tower with a simple mandate: "Stop spending."

Napolitano has not yet vetoed the bill, though unless she has one of those abrupt changes of heart for which she is renowned she almost certainly will... unless.

Unless she is given something to work with by the Republican leadership in the Legislature. They sent a letter to her, she responded today, and the result is that they will be meeting to hash out ways in which the standoff can be resolved.

According to House Republican Caucus spokesman Barrett Marson, tomorrow morning the Governor, Senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson) and House Speaker Jim Weiers (R-Phoenix) will sit down on the 9th floor for a "negotiating session."

What, if anything, will come out of it is not clear. However, it is a hopeful sign that the budget jalopy has finally shifted into fifth gear.