Lawmakers put finishing touches on state budget
Mississippi lawmakers on Monday put the finishing touches on a $5.54 billion state general fund budget, spending about $22 million more than the current year, and meeting their Monday-night deadline for spending bills.
The plan includes a slight increase in K-12 education spending, cuts to universities and many other budgets and leaves about $200 million in reserve for the next year. Lawmakers still have some general bills and local-and-private legislation to deal with, and the Senate has to pass a redistricting plan, but leaders are expecting to wrap up the session by week’s end, before the May 6 scheduled final day.
With the GOP in the driver’s seat in both the House and Senate for the first time since Reconstruction, the process moved relatively quickly and smoothly. The partisan gridlock over education and other key budgets was notably absent this session.
Sun Herald
4/30/12
