Colin Hill / KCOU News / April 27, 2010
House and Senate budget leaders are at odds over whether the budget is balanced.
Governor Nixon and Senate leaders had pushed for half a billion dollars in cuts.
But Senate Appropriations Chair Republican Rob Mayer conceded the conference committee would not get that far, because House leaders wanted more money put back into the budget.
Nixon’s budget director, Linda Luebbering, says it’s highly likely the governor will have to cut the difference.
“Unless we see some really, more optimistic news in our revenue situation than what we have been seeing, I think it’s pretty close to definite,” Luebbering said.
The House’s Republican Budget Chair, Allen Icet, says the budget is balanced.
“We’ve cut more that what’s necessary to balance 2011,” Icet said. “The issue is, the more we cut, the more money that will be available to help with the disaster that’s called 2012.”
Some say the budget lawmakers will debate next year will be more than half a billion dollars short.
The House and Senate still need to pass this year’s budget by the May 7th deadline.
Last updated: 8:23 p.m. April 27, 2010
