VOTES HAVE CONSEQUENCES

The big news today is that a Republican representative voted against the capital budget during the Special Session and, as a consequence, was removed from the House Republican Caucus. Voting for the budget prepared by the House Finance Committee is a requirement for caucus membership. When the representative cast the vote, I was surprised.

Voting on the budget is a different thing than voting on an issue like Worker's Compensation, PERS/TRS retirement systems, or the Longevity Bonus. A proper budget requires extensive and detailed committee hearings, and the public may testify at those hearings. A proper budget, whatever the source of the funding, cannot be constructed by forty diverse members representing two political parties on the House floor. I voted for the budget.

Votes have consequences - consequences for our constituents, for the entire state, for political parties, and consequences for the representative casting the vote. A mature representative will gracefully accept the consequences of every vote they cast. As we used to say in the military, we "knew the risk when we joined up."

Our caucus elected our caucus leadership. I support my Republican Caucus, Caucus leadership, and the Speaker of the House. Most of all, I do my best to support my constituents in District 31.