It’s too bad, but not a surprise, that an effort to cut pay for the governor and legislators if they don't meet a future July budget deadline failed to pass out of the state House last week.

The potential for a shutdown of state government at the end of next month should motivate lawmakers to get their act together. If they're unwilling to put their paychecks on the line, some other means of prodding them to work together is needed.

All Republicans in the GOP-led House voted for an amendment to the state constitution to suspend the future pay of lawmakers who don’t meet a July 1 deadline, imposed by the Legislature, to pass a state budget for the following year.

But without Democratic support, it failed to meet the two-thirds threshold needed to pass out of the chamber.

If Democrats ar

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