Post by Logan on Feb 25, 2016 21:31:39 GMT -6
Lawmakers see next year’s session as being one chock full of difficult decisions and are also split along party lines on how recent budget cuts to patch up a general fund shortfall were achieved.
Republican leaders say they were needed, while Democrats questioned some cuts to programs as well as not having saved legislative days last year to come back and address the shortfall themselves.
This month Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered state agencies that receive general fund dollars to cut 4.05 percent from their budgets to help plug a projected budget shortfall of $1.074 billion for 2015-17. The 4.05 percent equals $244.9 million and is the largest such cut ordered by a North Dakota governor. The cuts impact 59 of 73 state agencies.
Beyond the 4.05 percent agency cuts the gap will be addressed through the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund, holding K-12 harmless through the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund and using general fund ending balance dollars.
Read more: bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lawmakers-split-on-how-budget-cuts-made/article_e1352d2e-0b35-50c8-b67b-eb30734abb20.html
Republican leaders say they were needed, while Democrats questioned some cuts to programs as well as not having saved legislative days last year to come back and address the shortfall themselves.
This month Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered state agencies that receive general fund dollars to cut 4.05 percent from their budgets to help plug a projected budget shortfall of $1.074 billion for 2015-17. The 4.05 percent equals $244.9 million and is the largest such cut ordered by a North Dakota governor. The cuts impact 59 of 73 state agencies.
Beyond the 4.05 percent agency cuts the gap will be addressed through the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund, holding K-12 harmless through the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund and using general fund ending balance dollars.
Read more: bismarcktribune.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lawmakers-split-on-how-budget-cuts-made/article_e1352d2e-0b35-50c8-b67b-eb30734abb20.html