Berger gives session low grades

Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger gave the session low grades.

The Eden Republican said he was still frustrated by the Democratic majority's use of the rules to have its way. His grades:

Legislative Process: D-. Berger said that bills were "pretty much decided" before they reached the Senate floor, and the 2008 budget was "written behind closed doors."

"It's pretty much the same way it's been in other years," he said.

The Budget: D or F-. Berger said the budget did not take into account the troubled economy or financial problems with the State Health Plan. On the other hand, he was happy to see that less money was transferred from the Highway Trust Fund to the general fund.

On the plus side, he praised a pilot project for incentive pay at some school systems as well as the final wording of a bill that would keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, which he helped write. 

"I think we ended up with language that respected the Second Amendment and addressed problems evident from the Virginia Tech shootings," he said.