Governor Bob Holden has signed the $18.9-Billion state operating budget – without the vetoes and multiple news conferences that highlighted the process a year ago. Behind closed doors, with no media in attendance, Holden signed the 12 budget bills comprising the operating budget and several other bills. Last year, Holden was locked in a budget battle with legislative Republicans that saw the budget vetoed twice … special sessions that ran throughout June … and finally, the withholding of nearly $200-Million in education money that was held until just this past April when revenue numbers showed Republicans estimates to be true.
