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 Low Expectations for Short Session
by Tom Campbell
May 7, 2008
Just one week after the May 6th primary elections the General Assembly will convene for what is commonly known as the “short session.” For many years our legislators met every two years but as state budgets increased rapidly and issues evolved more rapidly, lawmakers determined it necessary to meet in the intervening year to make adjustments to the budget and tweak programs.
What can we anticipate from Tuesday’s short session? We could hope that lawmakers would take some action concerning the failed mental health reforms they passed in 2001. The Governor’s 21st Century Transportation Committee is scheduled to make a report about how to improve congestion and poorly maintained roads, maybe even recommending a major road bond initiative and the end to transfers from the Highway Trust Fund. Our state has a full plate, with many education concerns that deserve attention, as well as problems aplenty with probation and criminal justice, our outdated tax codes, uninsured children, aging and inadequate infrastructure, school facilities and much more. The recent court ruling on the death penalty deserves debate and resolution. The list is indeed long.
There isn’t a lot of money to spend, even though our state is more fortunate than many of our neighboring states that are encountering budget shortfalls. April tax returns generated a bit more revenue than had been projected and there is now some 90 million in surplus funds for the current year, but that won’t go far. Fortunately, our lawmakers wisely set aside more than 200 million dollars from which they will need to fund growth in school enrollments, mandated cost increases in health programs like Medicaid, teacher bonuses, and perhaps some small adjustment in pay to teachers and state employees. Believe it or not, these funds will evaporate quickly.
The big question will be whether or not the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 will need serious revision. Many in the legislature remember well what happened in the late 1990’s when revenue projections were overly optimistic and the state experienced serious budget shortfalls. Lessons learned from the recent past have made them cautious and not likely to make the same mistakes again in the budget that begins July 1. The budget may need some reductions due to a slowing economy; if so, this could lengthen the session.
Many of the House and Senate members have just finished primary elections and all 170 members of the General Assembly stand for election in November, even though many are unopposed. Typically, little happens during election years.
With little money to spend, elections on the horizon, and a new administration taking office in January, we can expect adjournment in late June or early July. For some that is good news; others will lament inaction when so much needs to be addressed. We would be wise to set our expectations low for the short session of the legislature. |
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