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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 13, 2016 02:08 PM |
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| From: | Representative Jaret Gibbons |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Budget Continuation Act |
| Last year’s budget impasse was a disappointing failure that should never happen again. The stalemate resulted in schools and social service agencies being dangerously underfunded for an unprecedented period of time. Due to the impasse, many organizations were forced to obtain private loans that will create financial issues for many years to come. These loans, which in many instances totaled in the tens of millions of dollars, have forced many of our commonwealth’s schools and vital service organizations to repay tens of thousands of dollars in interest due to our legislature’s inability to pass a timely budget. We within the legislature must act to ensure that such a standoff as was experienced last year is not permitted recur, but if it does we must not allow it to impact the ability of schools and social service agencies to deliver services. To remove the uncertainty and financial distress that accompanied this past year’s budget impasse and allow our schools and social service agencies to operate uninterrupted, I plan to introduce legislation entitled the “Budget Continuation Act”. Under my bill, if a budget is not successfully enacted by July 1, all line items from the previous year’s budget will continue to receive funding equal to that of the previously enacted budget, with the exception of the Governor’s office, the Lieutenant Governor’s office, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. These entities will receive zero funding until the passage of a new budget. After the many difficulties faced during the past year’s impasse, we must take the necessary steps to ensure that an impasse never again creates suffering for our schools and social service agencies. I respectfully request that you join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |
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| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB2077