Time Running Out For General Fund Fix
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State lawmakers are almost out of time when it comes to getting a general fund budget passed.
It made out of a senate committee today, but there’s not much time left to make any big changes.
It takes a minimum of five days for a bill to make it through and pass.
We only have five days left, so tomorrow is the deadline for any big fixes for the budget.
It’s not every day you get the head of an agency to petition lawmakers personally. But this time there were several, including Spencer Collier with the Alabama Law enforcement agency and Dr. Don Williamson with the Department of Public Health.
They were there to paint the picture of what these cuts, some up to 9 percent, would mean for their agencies.
“I believe some of what you heard today is accurate. I think some of it is speculative and a little over the top but right now it’s very difficult to tell. But I certainly don’t think good things happen with the budget the legislature has to consider today,” said Sen. Arthur Orr.
Se. Orr heads up the senate general fund committee.
He says while the budget still has a lot of cuts, there are some options out there that could help.
That includes a bill to move 100 million dollars in “use” taxes to the general fund.
“That 100 plus million dollars will pay for level funding for medicaid, level funding for DHR, level funding for mental health, level funding for corrections and pay for the prison reform program,” said Orr.
While these proposals to fix the budget are swirling around the state house, there’s very little time for heavy debate.
The next several meeting days will carry a lot of weight with these revenue measures.
“I think next Thursday will be a very long day when a lot of these revenue measures start moving because as you know we can’t pass a budget on revenue bills that have not passed,” said Orr.
