Deep divisions among majority Republicans in the Tennessee House are throwing a monkey wrench into the state's $37 billion annual spending plan.
A series of amendments introduced mostly by opponents of a Governor Bill Haslam’s gas tax hike caused the House version of the budget bill to become unbalanced. The chamber then recessed until Friday morning to try to sort out the process.
Democrats joined with the disgruntled faction of Republicans to help adopt the amendments that will likely be rejected by the Senate. If the two GOP-dominated chambers can't agree on a budget plan, the measure will go to a conference committee. State lawmakers are required by the Tennessee Constitution to pass a balanced budget every year.
