Senators OK $9 billion in base budget spending

Published: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007 12:05 a.m. MST
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The Senate approved more than $9 billion in "base budgets" on Tuesday, leaving about $676 million to spend on things such as tax cuts and state employee wage increases.

Both HB1 and HB3 passed with a clear majority, although senators complained during debate about the base budget process. Two years ago, the state instituted base budgeting to ensure that a disagreement wouldn't hold up passage of the state budget.

But lawmakers were concerned it would tie the hands of lawmakers who wanted to shift or change the base budget for a state agency or for public education. Base budgets are essentially the same budgets that state agencies and public education received last year.

"It's just the process that I think is an error this early in the session," Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, said during debate.

Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said in a later interview that the Senate has made it a priority to ensure that the budget process includes taking a close look at base budgets.

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