Farris is congratulating Cagle and Richardson over the budget compromise that was worked out in committee last night. I'd hold off before giving anyone a thumbs up, we still have the $20.2 billion FY 2008 budget and the Speaker has as good as promised that the pork stripped out of 2007 supplemental budget will be included for next year.

Whatever they do the budget is set by the Governor, the legislature must stay within the $20.2 billion. That's some good news. But I think this whole thing is far from over. I don't believe that the FY 2008 budget will be worked out before Sine Die, which means a special session.

The Speaker's ego took a huge hit yesterday and I think he is looking to take it out on the Senate. Use your imagination as to how. Richardson and other House leaders should spare themselves from further embarrassment. They lost yesterday and they know it. And no matter how hard they try, they can't spin this in their favor. Thanks to the conference committee being available online yesterday, we heard Rep. Ben Harbin telling Senators Jack Hill, Eric Johnson and Tommie Williams that the House wasn't moving on their project and they were willing to stay in conference all night. House leadership blinked, egos took a hit and now they are going headhunting.

[UPDATE] Things are a lot worse than I thought they'd be.