Off the road and into the budget
I had to scoot out of town unexpectedly this weekend - and let me tell you, the drive to Atlanta just stinks - and am just back in town. On my way back, friends let me know the House was getting ready to roll out its budget.
The budget bill and accompanying money report are posted online.
According to what House Speaker Joe Hackney told members Monday night, the House will run the bills through the Finance, Appropriations and other committees Tuesday. If Republicans don't pose procedural objections, the full House will debate the bill Wednesday and Thursday. After that, the Senate gets to take a crack at the bill.
The bill is likely to evolve over the next few days. There are always tweaks this way and that. But will less money available this year, expect the fights over the scraps in the next few days to get pretty darned heated.
Total spending is $21.3 billion. Republicans have called a presser to talk about the budget Tuesday morning, and I'm guessing they're going to say it spends too much.
After a quick run through the two documents, here are some things I noted:
- * Funding for the furniture market still takes a 1 percent cut to promotion budget.
- * A big facet of Gov. Mike Easley's mental health reform plans had been to consolidate the Local Management Entities that govern mental health services. The House budget bill would prohibit the governor and DHHS from doing this without scrutiny from the General Assembly.
- * UNCG gets a $42.7 million classroom building.
- * UNCG and NCA&T gets $1.85 million to plan for a joint data-processing center.
- * It will cost you more to get married and be born. The fee for a marriage license would go from $50 to $60 under the House plan. Newborn screening fees would go from $14 to $18.91.