Senate Appropriations Committee Moving On Budget Bills

The Senate Appropriations Committee has begun the task of carefully studying the four budget bills vetoed by Governor Bob Holden and revamped by the House. The new versions of the bills passed by the House are causing some concern on the Senate side of the Capitol. While more money was put into the budgets of public schools and higher education, some additional cuts have been made to the budgets of health and mental health and social services. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman John Russell of Lebanon believes his colleagues – Republicans and Democrats – want the additional cuts rejected. Senate versions of all four budget bills could be approved by the Committee today and sent to the Senate floor tomorrow.