The Underlying Issue

Though the disclosure bill is the one being filibustered, many people believe that the real reason for the filibuster is dissatisfaction over the education budget passed by the House. Gov. Riley proposed a 4% raise for teachers in his budget, but the bill passed by the House would raise teacher salaries by 6%, in accordance with the wishes of the Alabama Education Association. The difference between a 4% raise and a 6% raise is $52 million.

Also at issue is a demand by one legislator that the state's two-year colleges be given $46.25 million more than already budgeted for next year.

State law requires a balanced budget and prohibits cuts in teacher pay. Therefore, a shortfall in education trust fund revenues results in across-the-board cuts in school funding, i.e. "proration," sparing employee salaries.

Practically everyone would like to give teachers a bigger raise, and no politician wants to go on record opposing more money for the state's community colleges, but all of that would come at the expense of contributing to the state's rainy day fund, which was set up to avoid proration in "dry years" when state revenues fail to meet expectations.

The cost of a special session would range from $108,000 to $430,000...a small price to pay for protecting free speech and ensuring fiscal responsibility.