Comment on Negotiations deadlock on spending cap-bill

With a midnight Saturday deadline looming to complete the negotiations, Senate and House negotiators were reported to be making no progress on a final version of Senate Bill 9, so the paperwork on compromise wording could be filed by a midnight deadline. If the bill dies, it will mark a major miss for Abbott and Patrick in their legislative goals, and will likely draw heated criticism from tea-party activists who supported a tigher spending cap as approved by the Senate. In the Senate, it might keep the bill from being considered for final passage until Monday - putting it within range of a filibuster that could kill it, if a senator who opposed the measure wanted to talk until midnight when all legislative business must be done.