During the first week of the 2010 legislative session, Democrats stepped on their message about producing a budget plan, while Republicans flubbed an attempt to take the high road on spending cuts.

Democrats, who are in the minority in the House and Senate, held a news conference complaining that the majority Republicans were criticizing Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson’s tax increase proposals, but hadn’t produced a budget plan of their own. But Democrats had to concede they had no budget plan, and that most of them don’t support Parkinson’s proposals to increase the state sales tax by 1 cent and cigarette tax by 55 cents per pack.

Meanwhile, Republican leadership issued a news release on how they would lead by example and reduce the Legislature’s budget by establishing 10 unpaid furlough days. But the proposal fell through because apparently a bill must be passed to do this. The issue also brought attention to the fact that during the session, legislators get paid for days not worked, such as Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

And it also highlighted the fact that while some areas of the state budget have been cut drastically over the past year, the Legislature’s own budget, under Republican majorities, has increased from $17.9 million in fiscal year 2003 to $26.3 million in the last fiscal year.

Brown’s good fortune

Despite the problems with the state budget, state Rep. Tony Brown, D-Baldwin City, said he is trying to keep a positive attitude. At last week’s legislative forum at the Dole Institute of Politics, Brown confided to the audience that he has taped a fortune cookie fortune to his planner to help him stay focused.

The fortune says, “It is better to be optimistic and proven wrong, than pessimistic and proven right.”

Parkinson studied King

Parkinson received praise from several legislators for his State of the State Address last week, and he did it from memory, without use of notes or a teleprompter.

Parkinson was a big-time debater at Wichita State University, and he graduated first in his class at Kansas University Law School in 1984. But his speaking skills improved, he said, when he was about 20 years old and a friend gave him tapes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches.

“I have literally listened to his speeches hundreds of times,” Parkinson said last week during a King celebration. Parkinson said he now has the speeches on CDs.

Quote of the week

“Now is not the time to dumb down the schools, throw Granny in the street, and open the prisons.”

— State Rep. Ann Mah, D-Topeka

What’s next

• Discussion on increased employer rates in unemployment compensation fund before Senate Business and Labor at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Room 548-South in Capitol.

• Hearing on HB 2411, prohibiting chemicals in a herbal mixture called K2, before House Corrections and Juvenile Justice at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Room 144-South in Capitol.

• Hearing on HB 2439, prohibiting texting while driving, before House Transportation at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room 783 of the Docking Building.

• Hearing on SB 208, abolishing the death penalty, before Senate Judiciary at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Room 548-South in Capitol.