Less than half an hour after Senate President Andy Gardiner sent a letter to House Speaker Steve Crisafulli respectfully calling on him to bring the House back into session after he dismissed the body prematurely on Tuesday, Crisafulli responded back forcefully.
He’s not bringing the House back.
The defiant House speaker chastises the Senate in the letter, referring to bills that have passed the House but have yet to get through the Senate. Crisafulli says that the Senate “has refused to allocate funds to our schools, our environment, and our justice system, based on a view of healthcare policy that is predicated on borrowing against the future of our children and grandchildren.”
The crisis in the Legislature is predicated on an impasse between the House and Senate regarding Medicaid expansion. The Senate wants to take up a variation on the feds’ plan, but the House wants no part of it.
Later on in his letter, the House speaker asks Gardiner if the Senate felt so passionate about Medicaid expansion, “Why did (sic) not ask a House member to file a bill? Why did you not send us your bill so we had something to consider? Why did you not ask it be part of the Joint Work Plan?”
Crisafulli concludes by saying that he looks forward to working with Gardiner in the Special Session, yet to be announced.
