ABSTRACT
In a state known for bizarre movies with unpredictable endings, it would be hard to imagine more perfect elements for a storm of political revolt. Simply put, governors are at the apex of state power because of the clout associated with their offices—an endowment matched nowhere in American politics other than the United States presidency. In January, the state Public Utilities Commission, the agency responsible for electrical rates, approved a 9 percent rate hike across the board. The commission refused and blamed state leaders for the energy shortages. Revenues from state sales taxes, the other major source, accounting for about one-third of state revenues, remained flat during the same period. Davis supporters defended the program as an inexpensive way of avoiding major medical issues down the road; conservatives identified Healthy Families as an example of a state budget out of control.
