Big Legislative Deadline Reveals Wear Of Session
Frierson says the budget raises spending, increase the education budget and provides raises but that is still not enough for some. “You could run out here and full fund MAEP to the maximum level. Give the universities and colleges everything they wanted. Expand medicaid. Expand the health department and do everything and that same crew would gripe about it. I am tired about it,” Frierson said. Both chambers will begin early this morning to work through the remaining budget bills as well as hammer out a borrowing plan. Lawmakers are expected to approve roughly 230-million dollars in borrowing for everything from repairs at universities to the construction of a new medical school and a civil rights museum.
Senate Finance Chairman Joey Fillingane of Sumrall says the state will borrow less money this year than it paid off in the last twelve months. “I think we have said no to way more projects than we have said yes to. And while we take to pleasure in that, just like in nyour personal budget and in mine, we have to say no to more than we say yes too,” Fillingane said. And to complicate matters further, today is also the deadline for lawmakers to file compromise bills that are still alive and have a shot at becoming law. – See more at:
MPB
3/31/14
