SALTER – ’10 Budget: Legislature like a briar patch hare
Almost to a person, state lawmakers asked about the current state budget and the Fiscal Year 2010 now under construction by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will reply with one voice that they expect more budget cuts in FY 2009.
By most estimates, lawmakers may be dealing with revenues shortfalls well in excess of $500 million in FY 2009 and with numbers that aren’t dramatically better in FY 2010. Plus, the current federal stimulus funds will be drying up about that time as well.
More Budget Cuts
If those premises are true – and they are unless I perhaps underestimated the revenue shortfall – then Gov. Haley Barbour will be forced to make additional budget cuts. Barbour has already made budget cuts of $171.9 million in a $6 billion FY 2009 state budget.
Clarion-Ledger
9/28/9
Magnolia Tribune
