House Speaker Catherine Hanaway expresses confidence the Legislature will approve a budget by the deadline this Friday. House Budget Committee Chairman Carl Bearden and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman John Russell have been meeting informally, attempting to reconcile the different approaches the two chambers have taken – the House with a lump-sum budget, the Senate with the traditional line-item budget. Hanaway is encouraged by the meetings, though she doesn’t want to discuss their direction. Hanaway says the work ahead this week is for the House and Senate to reach a compromise. She says the veto threat Governor Bob Holden has issued if the Legislature doesn’t adopt some of his proposals is having no effect on the talks.
