Lawmakers Wrangle With Budget

Lawmakers are hoping to wrap up next year’s budget in the coming days. MPB’s Stephen Koranda reports on how significant agency cuts could be in the future.

Senate Appropriations Chair Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo outlined some of the ways he hopes to manage with a revenue shortfall that could reach 400 million dollars next year. Under the Senate proposal many state agencies would see a 10 percent funding cut. The plan would also save 60 million dollars for Medicaid in the coming years. Nunnelee says the program’s costs could rise by more than 20 million dollars a month in 2011, after federal stimulus funding runs out.

“We can either smile and pretend like that increase does not exist, or we can be prudent and plan for it. This plan allows us 60 million dollars to plan for that. I’ll tell you up front, this is not a pretty budget; it is balanced. And it’s the best I have been able to do with the available revenue we have today.”

Before anything is finalized, Nunnelee and House members will need to see eye to eye. House Appropriations Chairman Johnny Stringer of Montrose, says there’s still differences to work out.

“It’s tough, it’s going to be tough, both sides will to have to come to the middle. You’re talking about 26 million dollars difference on k through 12. You’re talking about probably 25 million dollars on IHL, almost 5 million dollars on community colleges.”

House Speaker Billy McCoy told the chamber he hopes to finish the session by Saturday. If that's going to happen Lawmakers will have to work fast on the details of the 5 billion dollar budget.