The political battle between House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio over who has the biggest gavel continues and because of that tiff, Rhode Island's flying without a net. The House Speaker insists the only way the state budget will pass is if the Senate returns and removes a provision he opposes. So what's the glitch? The Senate planned to amend the $9.2 billion dollar state budget already passed by the House that would pause Mattiello's proposed six year car tax phaseout if state revenue declines significantly in the future. Mattiello claims he had a handshake deal with Ruggerio on the budget, something the Senate President denies. Matiello calls the move a "political power play." Believe it or not, the two haven't even spoken to each other since Mattiello abruptly ended the session last Friday. In a visit to Newsradio 920, Governor Gina Raimondo told me she has had conversations with each individually, but has yet tried to get the pair together for a sit down. Keep in kind, all three are democrats. The Governor DOES have the power to call the General Assembly back into session under "extraordinary circumstances" but she says we're not at that point yet. All that could change when payments to municipalities are due July 31st. That's when things could REALLY hit the fan.