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Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 March 2009 12:29 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 18 March 2009 12:29
From The State:
A new nonpartisan congressional report may raise constitutional questions about whether state legislatures have the power to seek economic-stimulus funds that their governors reject.
The report by the Congressional Research Service, the nonpartisan research arm of Congress, casts doubt on a key provision of the $787 billion stimulus bill that President Barack Obama signed into law last month, according to sources familiar with the report.
The clause, aimed at bypassing governors who oppose using deficit spending to jolt the economy, authorizes a state’s legislature to apply for the stimulus funds if its governor fails to do so within 45 days of the stimulus measure’s Feb. 17 enactment — by April 3.