STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR BARBOUR ON
STATE BUDGET
“This is a difficult budget year. I appreciate the efforts of the Legislature, House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats. People had to make a lot of tough votes to reduce spending and keep the Public Employees Retirement System sound. We have a budget that’s reasonable and reasonably conservative. While it’s not exactly the way I would have done it, it’s a truly balanced budget that preserves the appropriate amounts of the Health Care Trust Fund and the Rainy Day Fund to be used in the next two budget years. I appreciate the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker and the leaders of both Houses and both parties for all their hard work. While we hope state revenue has bottomed out and will start to improve, under current federal law the state will lose nearly $500 million of federal stimulus funds for Fiscal Year 2012 – the budget the Legislature will adopt next year – so we have another tough year ahead of us.”
