Ala. court hears suit between Riley, legislators

    The Alabama Supreme Court has heard
arguments in a lawsuit that members of the Legislature’s Joint
Fiscal Committee filed against Gov. Bob Riley.

    The arguments Tuesday were over Riley using a line-item veto to
remove language that the Legislature put in the new state General
Fund budget. The language shielded some health and social service
programs from budget cuts if state tax collections fall below
expectations. The cuts of up to $183 million would come out of
other programs, including the courts and prisons.

    An attorney for the governor argued that the suit should be
dismissed because no shortfall in General Fund revenue has occurred
and no one has been harmed.

    An attorney for legislators said the suit is ripe for the courts
to consider because harm occurred to legislators when the governor
used his line-item veto to change the budget they wrote.

    The Supreme Court did not indicate when it will rule.