JACKSON - The chief money manager for Mississippi House describes the state budget for fiscal year 2004 as another huge Band-Aid wrapped around in one-time money.
"We just keep digging ourselves into a hole that is so big with this one-time money that I don't see anyway to get out of it," said Rep. Charlie Capps, D-Cleveland, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Capps said digging into other agencies' treasuries to bail out other departments is no way to operate.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Gordon, D-Okolona, agrees, but says lawmakers are doing what they must in a slow economy.
"It's just something we're having to do right now while we're waiting for the economy to pick back up. Until the revenue starts coming back in, this is the best we can do to keep these agencies," Gordon said.
Bills are pending to transfer $355 million from state agencies and various savings accounts into the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
"We're having to do these things to make sure we keep these agencies able to perform at the best level we can," Gordon said. "We're not giving any of them what they asked for. We are giving them money to just sustain programs where they are."
Capps said outside of education, most of state government will be underfunded for fiscal 2004.
"Any time you are dealing with one time money … anybody that keeps up with it knows it's not there the next year," Capps said.
Last year, the Legislature used one-time money to plug holes in the budget, particularly for education.
This year, lawmakers acted swiftly on a $2.3 billion education funding package for the public schools, universities and junior colleges.
The state budget is projected to be $3.5 billion.
Capps said getting the education spending done earlier was a major feat by the Legislature. However, it did nothing to erase problems in Medicaid, welfare, corrections and the Narcotics Bureau.
"It didn't make anything easier getting education out of the way early. We will still go into conference with ongoing problems," he said.
Gordon said the only thing easier about final budget talks will be that lawmakers won't be scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for extra money for education.
The House and Senate followed Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's budget proposals for some executive agencies.
Capps said he thinks some agencies will suffer for it, such as the Department of Corrections where fewer dollars could negatively impact the housing of inmates in private prisons, regional and local jails.
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