Michael Parson

Moments ago, Democrats walked out of the House Rules Committee to protest Chairman Michael Parson's ruling to move the House GOP's new(est) stimulus spending to the floor without deliberation by the Budget Committee. Immediately after Parson's gaveled the meeting to order, Rep. Mike Talboy raised a point of order, citing House Rule 25 (10) (a), which reads:

The Committee on Budget.
The Committee on Budget shall have the responsibility of filing all appropriations bills, assigning of those bills to the appropriate appropriations committees and shall report upon all bills recommended to it by the respective appropriation committee and any other bills, measures, or questions referred to it pertaining to the appropriation and disbursement of public money.

The rules of the appropriations process didn't bother Parson, and he promptly ruled against the point of order. Democrats, in turn, chose to leave the committee hearing rather that participate in the "sham process"