How the Senate cut off debate in '08

Senate Republicans did not have a chance to speak about the budget on the floor this year.

With a Web ad attacking Democratic Senate nominee Kay Hagan's record, Dome is taking a closer look at her record of bipartisanship as budget co-chair.

The ad highlights this year's state budget process, when Hagan served an advisory role. For the previous five years, Hagan was a co-chair of the Senate Appropriations committee.

Here's what happened this year: The House sent a budget bill to the Senate on June 5. It was amended in Appropriations and passed two other committees before heading to the Senate floor on June 18.

On the floor, eight amendments were offered by Hagan and three other Democrats and by Republican Sens. Jerry Tillman, Phil Berger, Harry Brown and Bob Rucho. Tillman and Brown's amendments were tabled, Berger's ruled out of order and Rucho's came to a vote, where it passed.

After 38 minutes, Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand then made a motion to end debate. It passed 30-18 along party lines, with Hagan voting for it.

For comparison's sake, debate on the budget took 4 hours and 36 minutes over two days in the House.

More after the jump.

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Under Senate rules, each senator can speak twice on a bill, up to 30 minutes the first time and up to 15 minutes the second, but they don't necessarily get the chance. Senate leaders can "call the question" — moving to end debate — whether everyone has spoken or every amendment has been heard.

Berger, the Senate Republican leader, says that Democrats have cut off debate on the budget early since he was elected in 2001, but this year was earlier than usual.

"In years past, what generally happened was there'd be some amendments, we'd talk about them, and then at some point Rand would cut off debate," he said. "This year was the first time that happened before we even had a chance to talk about the bill."

The state's newspapers noted the lack of debate.

"Republicans had virtually no chance to amend the bill or speak to its merits on the floor, with the exception of a measure that would study the effectiveness of state-funded pre-kindergarten programs," wrote the Greensboro News & Record.

The N&O noted: "Year after year, leaders in the Democrat-controlled state Senate use the rules to close off debate and limit amendments. It happened again Wednesday: Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand made a motion to vote on the $21.4 billion spending plan before any Republicans had voiced their views on it."

Senate Democratic leaders defended the decision, saying they were trying to keep Republicans from forcing votes that could be used against candidates this fall.