Senate Appropriations Committee Completes Work On Budget Bills

The Senate Appropriations Committee has completed its preliminary work on the four budget bills vetoed by Governor Bob Holden and revamped by the House. The House versions of the four bills saw elementary and secondary schools given a $72-Million boost, with higher education given an additional $14-Million. But the House also calls for job cuts in the Departments of Health and Mental Health and Social Services. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman John Russell of Lebanon plans to prevent most of the job cuts by taking money from what the House wants to place into education. His Committee’s version of will see $30-Million going to public schools and $10-Million targeted for higher education. The money saved would allow the jobs to be kept. The full Senate meets Thursday to discuss these budget bills.