Post by Logan on Jun 10, 2016 21:25:43 GMT -6
The Legislative Black Caucus on Wednesday held a hearing with state health and mental health officials and renewed its call for the governor to force lawmakers back to Jackson to un-do budget cuts and fund shifts and tap the state's rainy day fund.
In statements Wednesday, Gov. Phil Bryant's office continued to be noncommittal about whether he might call a special session for the budget — or any other reason. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves chalked the hearing and call for special session up to liberal Democratic complaining because GOP leaders are cutting government spending.
"We are hearing concerns from our constituents on the budget cuts, the loss of jobs and the closing of the health centers as well as the bed cuts for the mentally ill that led to us having this hearing," said Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, D-Gulfport, chairwoman of the Black Caucus. "... We need a resolution. Mental illness, health care, those budgets that have been cut need to have a resolution."
Williams-Barnes, as other Democratic lawmakers have said, said the Republican leadership should consider dipping further into the state's rainy day savings to spare some agency cuts, and consider repealing or reworking a bill that swept special fund agencies and accounts into the state's general fund so spending would be more closely controlled by the Legislature than the agencies.
Read more: www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/08/caucus-budget-hearing/85592544/
In statements Wednesday, Gov. Phil Bryant's office continued to be noncommittal about whether he might call a special session for the budget — or any other reason. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves chalked the hearing and call for special session up to liberal Democratic complaining because GOP leaders are cutting government spending.
"We are hearing concerns from our constituents on the budget cuts, the loss of jobs and the closing of the health centers as well as the bed cuts for the mentally ill that led to us having this hearing," said Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, D-Gulfport, chairwoman of the Black Caucus. "... We need a resolution. Mental illness, health care, those budgets that have been cut need to have a resolution."
Williams-Barnes, as other Democratic lawmakers have said, said the Republican leadership should consider dipping further into the state's rainy day savings to spare some agency cuts, and consider repealing or reworking a bill that swept special fund agencies and accounts into the state's general fund so spending would be more closely controlled by the Legislature than the agencies.
Read more: www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/08/caucus-budget-hearing/85592544/