Experts foresee stripped budget

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 11/14/7

Gov. Haley Barbour and legislative leaders admit it will be a tough budget year, despite projections of about $155 million more to spend during the 2008 legislative session.

Barbour referred to FY 2009 – the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2008 – as a “Spartan budget year” Tuesday during a meeting with the 14 members of the Legislative Budget Committee, which includes House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, and Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck.

“To deal within this budget will require some belt-tightening, which I think is a surprise to a lot of people,” Barbour told them.