I just watched the CBS Evening News and saw stories about two troubled governors. 

Sarah Palin of Alaska announced she is stepping down.  She gave no good reason but the speculation includes talk that her move is a reaction to public criticism like that recently made by Late Night comedian David Letterman.

Mark Sanford of South Carolina continues to battle calls for his resignation.  The Lt. Governor of South Carolina cited Letterman jokes as a reason why the governor should step down.

There is no local version of Letterman but former Democratic running mate Dennie Oxley should know that his recent legal trouble is the source of much Statehouse humor. 

The future is bleak whenever a politician becomes a punchline.

Tomorrow is the holiday for public broadcasting (and me) so we’re taping Indiana Week in Review today.

Topics for tomorrow show:

-State Budget Passes

-School funding

-Capital Improvement Board bailout

-Dennie Oxley’s legal trouble

-Rudy Clay’s plans for a Gary memorial to Michael Jackson

-Special Session roundtable, winners and losers and more

State lawmakers are gone from the Statehouse but a couple of issues remain.  State Senate Democrats are upset that majority Republicans forbid them from videotaping the final budget debate.  They had videotaped only the Democratic speeches throughout the Special Session, or so they say.

Republicans, meantime, are upset with one of their own.  Senator Jean Leising voted against the budget (one of 3 Republicans to do so) but sent a memo to President Pro Tem David Long asking why Senators didn’t get per Diem payments on days during the Special Session when the Senate didn’t convene.  Whether Senators deserve the pay is a point that is unclear in the law.

Absolutely clear is the fact that fellow Senators leaked the memo to make Leising look bad.

Several of us in the Statehouse press corps hold a ritual post mortem each legislative session and we name the session, among other things.

This year’s choice is The Blade versus the Boss.  

The Blade, Governor Mitch Daniels, was asked this morning if he had spoken to the Boss, Speaker Pat Bauer, since passage of the budget.  Said the governor, “No, he hasn’t called.”

Bauer’s response to the same question:  “He hasn’t called, he hasn’t written.”

Bauer called it his most frustrating session.  It was his 39th.  The governor said his feelings about the session don’t matter.

Senate GOP budget negotiator Luke Kenley just left the House Speaker’s office headed back to the Senate. 

Meantime, House Minority Leader Brian Bosma just informed fellow members of the need to return to a private caucus.

Indiana House returns at 1pm.

About 25 minutes ago Bill Crawford said he still had not signed the conference committee report.

The state Senate just posted a revised start time of 1:30pm.

All eyes are now on the Indiana House where representatives of the Indiana State Teachers Association were just spotted in the reception area of House Speaker Pat Bauer’s office.  They don’t like the school formula in the budget proposal.

Rep. Bill Crawford just walked into House Speaker Pat Bauer’s office carrying copies of the budget bill.

I asked if he had signed it yet (in his role as Democratic conferee, a move required for a floor vote to take place.)   Said Crawford, “I’m just getting ready to.”

That should set the stage for an afternoon vote in the House.

The General Assembly is done for the night with plans to return at 10am in both the House and the Senate.  Leader predict a government shutdown will be avoided.

Votes will take place on a budget bill in both chambers.  The bill has a 1% increase for schools in the first year, .3% in the second after $54million was added to the Senate plan.  It has a billion dollar surplus and no restrictions on charter schools.

It also includes a CIB bailout that calls for an innkeeper tax hike only.

State Senate leaders predict passage and while House Speaker Pat Bauer says there won’t be many Democratic votes, House Republicans cheered the plan in caucus.

House Speaker Pat Bauer reports a “possible” agreement on a new state budget.  The Indiana House will not vote on it tonight.

The state Senate hopes, however, to vote sometime after reconvening at 8pm.