Michaux: budget coming shortly
Rep. Mickey Michaux told members on the House floor today, "We're going to have a budget for you shortly."
He also cautioned they were dealing with some "bruised egos" and suffering some "slings and arrows. (One of those from Dome: the closed open door.)
It sounds like there are a few remaining big issues.
"We could really be done in a half hour," he said. To which everyone with a lick of sense said, "Yeah right."
At any rate, if you're into reading tea leaves, you can click here to listen to Michaux's two-minute riff for yourself.
Update: And then then there's this tid-bit from our friends at the Associated Press, although $70 million isn't quite the monkey wrench in the works you think it might be:
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ Gov. Mike Easley's administration is warning legislative leaders there's less tax money than previously believed to spend for next year.Easley's office told lawmakers Thursday that state government should collect $70 million less than projected when the fiscal year ends next week. Easley budget adviser Dan Gerlach attributes the decline to lower-than-expected sales and income taxes.
Less money now means less money to spend in next year's budget, which is being worked out by House and Senate Democrats. Negotiators may have to find additional spending reductions or take money out of savings to make up the difference.
Rep. Jim Crawford, one of the House's negotiators, downplayed the news Thursday. He said the dollar figure is a small percentage of a budget that will exceed $21 billion.