Budget Talks Start, Lawmakers Predict Difficult Road
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House members are still tired after working on the budget through two special sessions last year.
Now it’s time again to get back to business.
“Oh this is going to be a difficult year as well,” said Rep. John Knight.
Rep. Knight has sat on the budget committee for years and sees that things aren’t exactly looking up.
He says we don’t have money for important things like state troopers.
“You see the number of accidents we have on the interstate out there. WE have a shortage of troopers out there. You drive that interstate people are just driving. The other thing is corrections. So we’ve got major problems in this state that must be addressed and the revenue is not there, I don’t care what anybody tells you,” said Knight.
The actual general fund will start in the senate this year, but house members are already working on bills to help move things along.
The bills worked on helping agencies like the troopers as well as making sure medicaid continues to work.
“These bills have to pass if we have any hope for a reasonable budget so if these don’t pass then we’re in real big trouble,” said Rep. Steve Clouse.
But are things going to be any easier than last year?
Lawmakers say they hope to finish the budgets early this year, but it will be along haul.
“Last year we were faced with the train coming off the track if we didn’t raise any money. We did raise 165 million of recurring revenue plus took 82 million out of the budget from the previous year. So we raised and cut last year. I don’t anticipate us raising any money this year, so there’s going to have to be some cuts,” said Rep. Clouse.
