Coffee Talk

Coffee Talk

By Senator Glenn Coffee,
Co-President Pro Tempore

What a difference a week makes. When we convened the 2008 legislative session, we were looking at the possibility of having only $32 million in additional revenue for the coming fiscal year. This past week, the Tax Commission issued new numbers, and it now appears we may be faced with having about $195 million less than originally estimated in December.

Obviously, this changes the dynamics of the session significantly. We already had questions about the numerous new programs the governor had discussed in his State of the State Address. The change in the revenue numbers means we’re probably going to be looking at a stand-still budget, at best, and even the possibility of budget cuts in some areas.















While Senate Republicans have worked diligently to promote public policy and economic development programs that make growth possible, we also know that there are inevitable ebbs and flows that come with economic cycles. This is not a catastrophic situation but it does point to the continued need to work for economic diversification, while ensuring our approach to the state’s budget is one that is fiscally conservative. Paramount to that approach of fiscal conservatism is understanding the difference between one-time revenue sources and recurring expenditures, and not using one to fund the other.

In the wake of the latest economic news, we’ve already heard some calls to dip into the state’s Rainy Day Fund for Corrections. I think it is premature to be talking about using those one-time funds for what we know will be ongoing expenses, but I applaud the acknowledgement that we must address the tremendous needs in Corrections. For years, Senate Republicans have called for the Legislature to fully fund DOC, instead of playing the yearly smoke and mirrors game of shortchanging Corrections in the budget and then coming back the next session and granting supplemental appropriations. It’s a losing game and public safety is at risk. It is time for a more honest, thoughtful approach.

I am confident that the leaders of the two chambers and the governor can work together to prioritize the state’s funding needs and balance our budget, despite the forecast change.