Budget bill puts McCoy, Barbour name on state buildings

The state legislature, House and Senate, passed a $5.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2012 on Monday.  One caveat to the appropriation bills is that two current state political figures will see their names on state buildings.  The SunHerald reported on this, writing:

                              “One budget bill includes provisions to name the Mississippi
                               Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Rankin
                               County for Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, the Mississippi
                               Department of Transportation headquarters in downtown
                               Jackson for Democratic House Speaker Billy McCoy and a 
                               Highway Patrol regional office in Meridian for the late
                               Democratic Rep. Charles Young.

At first glance, the naming of these buildings for McCoy and Barbour would point to perhaps an ending of their political endeavors in state government.  However, state Sen. Hob Bryan was quoted as saying:

                              “I certainly have the highest regard for the Speaker of the
                               House, and I think it’s appropriate to name some building
                               some day for Gov. Barbour,” Bryan said. “But I question the
                               wisdom of naming buildings for two people who are still so
                               active in the political process.”

The SunHerald article then gave a brief history of this action and may give further insight into what is to come from McCoy.  Here’s what they wrote:

                              “The House passed a bill several weeks ago to name the
                                buildings for Barbour, McCoy and Young, but that bill died
                                in the Senate. It was revived during budget negotiations 
                                at the insistence of some House leaders, said Senate 
                                Appropriations Committee Chairman Doug Davis, R-Hernando.

                              ”Barbour is term-limited and can’t seek re-election this year, 
                               although he’s been preparing for a possible 2012 presidential run.

                              ”McCoy, of Rienzi, hasn’t said whether he’s running again for the
                               House or for the chamber’s leadership post. He was first elected
                               to the House in 1979 and was instrumental in passing a 1987
                               program to improve highways across the state. He is finishing
                               his second four-year term as speaker.

                              “Young, a businessman from Meridian, was first elected to the
                                House in 1979 and died in April 2009, while he was still serving.”

We would imagine that Gov. Barbour’s name was thrown in the mix to ease the sting of naming a building after McCoy.  It’s easy to conceive that House Democrats’ held their nose on Barbour to ensure McCoy’s place on the bill. 

For the House budget negotiators to insist on naming these buildings in the midst of such heated budget debate may point to their belief that McCoy will indeed not run for reelection or perhaps may even be a way to recognize the Speaker as they urge him to step aside.  In politics, it is not uncommon for an ego stroking olive branch to be extended to those in leadership when their cohorts are insistant on a change at the top.  House Democrats may be ready to enter the post-McCoy era quickly given such insistence.

As we have said here many times, even if McCoy does not run for reelection, his Boys in the House Democrat leadership he has cultivated will field someone to seek the Speaker’s gavel.  That’s why we continue to say that we must “Fire McCoy and the Boys” in 2011.