Home » News

  Budget Update as of Monday, Sept. 28, 2009 at 3 p.m.

There are now two days left to strike a deal on the state budget for the next fiscal year.  Long legislative sessions are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Both chambers will pick up on progress made Friday, and throughout the weekend.  On Friday, the House passed four conference report budgets.  These budgets were:

• Agriculture
• Military and Veteran Affairs
• Judiciary
• Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth

The House also passed a bill to ensure that any dollars leftover over from certain programs within the community health budget, are used towards the shortfall in this coming fiscal year's budget.  Another bill was passed to allow the state to commit leftover state funds from convention facility authorities back to the general fund budget.  These efforts are aimed to find savings within every budget to help address the budget deficit.
 
Some conference committees also met on Sunday in preparation for legislative sessions starting back up tomorrow.  The conference committee on Corrections and the Department of Education agreed on compromises, which will send their reports to the House for a vote.  Upon passage, these bills will be transmitted to the senate for approval, and then on to the Governor.  In order to meet agreed budget targets, the corrections budget mandates an equivalent cut of $841 per prisoner.

 Conference committees on the most contentious budgets are expected to meet on Tuesday morning.  Conference reports are expected to be signed, so they can be taken up in each respective chamber.  These budgets include:

• General Government (SB 245) - This budget contains revenue sharing appropriations for local communities. 
• Community Health (HB 4436) - This budget funds many social service programs, including nursing and mental health facilities, and medicaid programs. 
• Human Services (SB 248) - Controversial cuts being negotiated include child care payments, low income and senior citizen food programs, and juvenile justice facilities. 
• Conference committees on the Department of Transportation budget (SB 254), along with the DNR/DEQ budget (HB 4446) are expected to meet and sign their conference reports.

Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be long session days.  All members expect to work out compromises on every budget to reach a deal by the end of Wednesday.  I will try to send out updates as often as possible.