It’s that time again. We are taking a second round of public testimony on a bill aimed at solving much our $2.8 billion deficit. Unlike other plans proposed by some legislators, which require major cuts to schools, the university, help for abused and neglected children and those with disabilities, House Bill 115 recognizes reality.
The first week of Budget Basics, we talked about the context of the budget discussion. Due to a significant drop in oil revenue, we have a $2.7 billion dollar deficit. Next, we discussed the importance of generating sustainable revenue to support essential services, like public safety and education. I shared with you last week that the house passed a fully funded, responsible operating budget.
I just want to take a moment to review where we’ve been and where we are now regarding the budget and a fiscal plan. The conversation about the budget and how to get our fiscal house in order is not new. I held my first community meeting in the Fall of 2015 because I knew then we needed to take action. I was pleased with the large crowd in attendance because that told me you all cared and knew we had to take action too. We had Bob Loeffler of ISER bring the Budget Balancing Game and we spent time trying to figure out how to balance the budget ourselves. Options ranged from just using the Permanent Fund to statewide taxes like sales and income taxes or more cuts. The game demonstrated the challenge of finding the right solution.
I am hosting one more teleconference, tonight April 15th at 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. This is the last teleconference meeting scheduled right now, but that could change if the Session is extended. If you have any questions about the budget or any other legislation, call in at 1-844-586-9085.
