Speaker Prieto said this afternoon that he’s been in contact with Horizon and he’s willing to revisit Horizon with his members; he could theoretically schedule a hearing on some sort of compromise bill (a compromise of Vitale’s compromise bill) within the next two weeks, but not right now.

“I’m open to doing things until after we get to the budget.  But I have members already who have an idea of crafting something that we can have a public debate on,” said the Speaker, bemoaning the fact that he doesn’t believe there was enough vetting time in the Assembly for Vitale’s Horizon bill, S-4.

“My main focus is getting 41 members to vote on this [the budget] and opening up government.  I could hold a hearing after, but it would be after this is done.”

The Governor at his press conference seemingly shot down the idea, saying its unrealistic that the Legislature would meet over the summer and Prieto doesn’t have the budget votes.

“Its disrespectful,” Prieto said of the Governor’s address yesterday to the Legislature.  “This is a co-equal branch of government.  We figure out what that is, and not his opinions of what he thinks we should be putting in the bill.  That’s wrong.”

He laid blame on the Senate as well, saying they had the budget on their board list yesterday, but didn’t take it up.  “They’re party to us not getting this accomplished and government not getting back to work.”