Senate Appropriations Chairman Chuck Gross thinks he’s found some pots of money to help state government when economic times are bad. The pots are maintained by 220 programs that state law requires the Legislature to fund. Gross says those funds were holding more than $650-Million at the end of fiscal 2005. His bill allows the Legislature to withhold half of the annual appropriations to those funds when state revenue is low, freeing up tens of millions of dollars for general state operations. Gross says his idea would not eliminate some programs, but would allow the Legislature to reduce amounts going to them so the money can be spent on other state programs.
