Budget’s first draft cuts deep

The Sun Herald, 12/3/8

Lawmakers say their first draft of a Mississippi budget is more austere than one offered by Gov. Haley Barbour.

But they also say the proposals to divvy up taxpayers’ dollars could change significantly before legislators merge their ideas with the governor’s and approve a final spending plan.

Like their counterparts across the nation, Mississippi lawmakers expect the recession to squeeze tax collections – and limit spending options – for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

“We cannot print money here. We’re going to balance the budget,” House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, said Tuesday during a meeting of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. “It’s going to be tough, but we will do it.”