Archive for the ‘State Legislature News’ Category

From al.com:

Fifty-four of the 65 Republicans in the state House of Representatives have voluntarily cut their pay by a rate of about $7,400 a year, Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, announced late Thursday afternoon.

The move cut most of those members’ state pay from $52,646 to $45,252 a year.

Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, the House minority leader, said that he wasn’t sure how many Democrats so far have volunteered to do the same thing, though Rep. Joe Hubbard, D-Montgomery, has done so.

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From Courant.com:

Republicans were not impressed with Malloy’s change, and they said they will offer a no-tax budget as soon as next week.

Both House Republican leader Larry Cafero and Senate GOP leader John McKinney said there are no Republican votes for Malloy’s budget at this point. Although Malloy’s plan would raise $1.5 billion in taxes, the Republicans refer to it as an overall tax increase of $1.9 billion because it includes about $300 million in increased hospital taxes and new taxes that municipalities would be allowed to impose on rental cars and hotel rooms.

“We think there is no reason to get rid of the $500 property tax credit,” McKinney said. “This was definitely a change that was done at the request of the Democratic majority in the House and Senate.”

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From Stateline:

Fiscal experts painted a mixed picture of state budgets Thursday (April 14) during a meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Washington, D.C.

Tax revenues are showing clear signs of improvement, but they are still far removed from their peak levels, according to lawmakers, fiscal directors, staff members and others who attended the meeting. As a result, difficult budget decisions are likely to remain the norm for several years.

“It’s like getting a 5-percent raise, which is great, but then finding out your rent went up 10 percent,” Corina Eckl, NCSL’s fiscal director, told the assembled state officials. “That’s where we are in the overall scheme of things.”

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From ChicagoTribune:

California’s governor wants to maintain temporary tax increases to keep $9 billion a year flowing to the state treasury. Low-tax Texas is considering tapping its rainy day account to soften the effects of deep spending cuts. New York’s governor pushed through budget cuts while keeping a campaign pledge to avoid tax increases.

And residents of Illinois and Florida are getting a very different take on taxes: Illinois passed a massive increase, while Florida proposes giving its taxpayers a big break.

The five states are the nation’s most populous but are taking very different approaches to solving their respective budget deficits, illustrating that the priorities of the majority party play as much a role in budgeting decisions as a state’s fiscal health. If those states are a guide, there is no single model for how to close a deficit.

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Form BillingsGazette:

HELENA — The state Senate on Tuesday advanced a proposal to put detailed state government spending and employee salary information on a website, as supporters said the public should have easy access to information on how the state spends its money.

“The (state) agencies owe this to the people,” said Rep. Tom Burnett, R-Bozeman. “It’s going to cost a little bit of money. But it’s a duty that government owes its citizens.”

The Senate voted 30-20 to endorse Burnett’s House Bill 444, which directs the state to create a “public finance website.” The site would have a searchable database and include information such as employees’ salaries, agency budgets, all agency purchases and contracts, grants and leases, and published audits and reports.

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From ajc.com:

Teachers could no longer rely on seniority as a safe harbor when school districts lay off workers, under legislation before the Georgia House Monday.

Senate Bill 184 would require local school systems to use teacher performance as the primary factor when deciding layoffs. Supporters argue that policy change will give job security to the best educators and give middling teachers incentive to improve.

“If we want the best students and to improve our education system, we have got to have the best teachers,” said Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, the measure’s sponsor. “Anything else is contrary to keeping the best employees.”

Opponents say the legislation isn’t necessary because job performance has been included as a factor in decisions on layoffs for years. They worry the issue draws focus away from school funding cuts the state has made for years.

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From LaCrosseTribune.com:

With better than 40 percent voter turnout in La Crosse County – and upwards of 70 percent in some towns and precincts – Tuesday’s election showed that area voters are engaged in a way rarely seen in spring elections, usually reserved for sleepy nonpartisan races.

And with a special Assembly race and possible Senate recall election looming, the Coulee Region will likely remain in the crosshairs of both parties for months to come.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political scientist Joe Heim attributes the turnout in part to happenings in Madison – where tens of thousands of people spent February and March protesting a Republican move to curtail collective bargaining rights for public employees.

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From Madison.com:

A Republican lawmaker on Thursday called on a state Justice Department lawyer to resign for sending an email offering legal advice to Democratic state senators after they fled the state in February.

Rep. Steve Nass sent Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen a letter asking for an investigation into Assistant Attorney General Thomas Bellavia for emailing the Democrats on Feb. 27 and telling them he supported their efforts to block the Republican-backed bill that would strip most public workers of collective bargaining rights.

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From the Olympian:

House Republicans Wednesday released their alternative to the Democratic majority’s budget proposal.

The Republican plan would slash $4.7 billion in spending over the next two years, in part by eliminating state contributions to Washington’s health care program for the poor and most of a program that aids disabled adults.

GOP leaders say their proposal is both more sustainable and responsible than the budget unveiled Monday by House Democrats. The Republicans say their plan protects three priority areas: K-12 education, public safety and vulnerable populations – such as the developmentally disabled.

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