Session Daily - produced by nonpartisan Public Information Services
Budget
Budget conferees begin their work
published 4/8/2008
The hardest decisions are yet to come for an omnibus
supplemental budget conference committee.
Co-chaired by
Rep.
Lyndon Carlson (DFL-Crystal) and
Sen. Richard Cohen (DFL-St. Paul), conferees began their work by going
through side-by-side comparisons of the
transportation
and state
government finance provisions. The group is expected to meet twice Wednesday
to compare K-12 Education and other funding areas.
Cohen said it would “not be a pleasant process,” but said
it’s better that the conferees come to an agreement, than for the governor to
use the budget reserve and unallot.
Sponsored by Carlson,
HF1812, and
SF3813, sponsored by Cohen each take different avenues to eliminate the
projected $938 million budget deficit for this biennium, and put a dent toward
the projected larger shortfall in the 2010-11 biennium.
- Mike Cook