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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visionaries:</FONT></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Legislative News from Ringo</P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Joint Finance Committee is in
the process of setting budgets.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>These budgets can be described as austere, and those in leadership will
say “with such limited resources, we have no choice.”<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Everybody needs to remember, it is we in
the legislature who are choosing to limit financial resources.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This session is still alive and we have
the power to delay the sunset of the 6% sales tax.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There is little will on the part of the
majority party to do so, however.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">It is important to understand at
this time that none of the budgets being set contains money for salary
increases.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Decisions related to
salary will be made at the end of the process, possibly with the use of a
“surplus eliminator.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Basically, as
last year for public employees, if there’s money left at the end above the
targeted amount, there will be raises.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>If this occurs as I would expect, there won’t be enough for the raises
people deserve.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We will balance our
budget at the misfortune of public school teachers and state employees, rather
than spreading the responsibility among all taxpayers.</P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The JFAC (Joint Finance and
Appropriations Committee) appropriation for colleges and universities still
needs House and Senate approval.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>There are some positive aspects to the budget.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It contains money for the enrollment
workload adjustment, which the legislature has not provided regularly.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Those items funded are supplied with
general funds, rather than partly using student fees.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, there are no inflationary
adjustments.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The JFAC budget,
disregarding salaries, is about $4 million below the Governor’s recommended
budget.</P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>On Monday, JFAC will consider the public
school appropriation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Leadership
has targeted a general fund amount of $986,200,000.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Disregarding salaries, this is about
$4,862,000 below the Governor’s recommendation and $55,500,900 below Marilyn
Howard’s request.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I was extremely happy to be part
of an effort to obtain agreement from the finance committee to provide much
needed funding for Public Television.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>This budget still awaits approval from the House and Senate.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are cautiously optimistic.</P>
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