Senators: Otter muzzling agency directors?

The Senate State Affairs Committee, which includes top members of leadership from both parties, today grilled Gov. Butch Otter’s budget director, Wayne Hammon, about word that state agency heads have been told not to share information with the Legislature about anything other than those items Otter is recommending in his budget. Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis said he’d heard that an email had gone out to that effect, and that worried him. “I just don’t want there to be any barrier to access to information to help us in doing our job,” Davis told Hammon.

Hammon said he wasn’t aware of any such email, and that agency heads are free to talk to lawmakers. “We are trying very hard to be open, to be more communicative, to be as cooperative as possible,” he said. The state Division of Financial Management, which Hammon heads, did review all budget presentations from agency heads, he said. He did say that all agency heads were asked to support the governor’s budget recommendations, even when Otter nixed items that they’d requested.

Hammon said when agency heads are asked about budget items they requested but that the governor didn’t back, they’ve been told to answer, but to support Otter. “I’ve told everyone who’s asked … ‘Yes, that’s an important item, if it wasn’t important we wouldn’t have asked for it. But we understand the governor’s priorities, and we support the governor’s recommendation.’”