Senate leaders passed their version of the state budget yesterday with very little debate.

I guess you have to give Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight credit from coming out and saying that limiting debate was political protection for Senate members facing tough campaigns, most notably Sen. Kay Hagan:

“You will have an amendment that will come in for the sole purpose of not necessarily changing what’s in the budget. …The purpose would be to put people on record without any kind of protective debate on the subject,” Basnight said.

…..Republicans also said the idea that politics should be scoured from the budget debate was disingenuous, pointing to an amendment offered by Hagan that would allow the state to expand available slots in a children’s health insurance program earlier than planned.

“I know that’s not an issue in the campaign for the U.S. Senate. That was a pure coincidence,” said Sen. Tom Apodaca, a Hendersonville Republican.

Insert sarcasm.