The House "Mini" Budget

After a press conference with the Governor (at which the Senate was noticeably absent), the House presented a "mini" budget with a limited number of budget proposals that would ensure teacher and state employee raises this week. This approach is virtually unheard of, and thus far has not been well-received by the Senate.  However, the House certainly made a point about its priorities - the full House unanimously voted in favor of the bill yesterday. Below is a brief summary.

SB 3, 2014 Budget Mods./Pay Raises/Other Changes. SB 3 provides for raises to state employees and teachers using reserve and lottery funds.  Instead of including numerous special provisions, the proposed bill directs $361 mil in budget reductions that are in line with the items not in controversy in the House and Senate proposed budgets in the proposed SB 744. It also directs that any vacant positions subject to proposed budget reductions in last year's budget or the House or Senate version this year shall not be filled after June 30, 2014. It also prohibits grant awards with funds subject to proposed budget reductions. It is highly unusual to direct budget reductions from proposed legislation that has not become law.

The bill also provides for the following:

• Salary supplements for teachers with relevant masters or other advanced degrees, including supplements for school psychologists and speech pathologists. 

• "Clarifies" teacher career status: provides pay raises for teachers who retain 4 year contracts, no pay raise for teachers who keep career status.

• Funds a Career Pathways pilot program that provides differentiated pay for classroom teachers based on a teacher's demonstrated effectiveness and additional responsibilities in advanced roles.

• Money to address the long-term oversight requirements of permitting, enforcement, data collection, and analysis of coal ash. 

• $134 mil in risk reserve for Medicaid but no other provisions addressing Medicaid.

• Repeals the Medicaid provider shared savings program and maintains the rate reduction.

The bill was approved by the House Appropriations committee on Wednesday and the House Pensions committee Thursday morning.  It received unanimous, bipartisan approval by the full House yesterday.