The Senate rolled out their budget last night at the 7:00 session. Full Appropriations Committee will begin discussion of the bill this afternoon at 1:00, giving the Senators and staff 18 hours to review the 169 page, $20.6 B budget before the meeting. After a late night review, here are some things that jumped out at me:

 Reduces money to secondary road construction by $170,627
while increasing funding for Administration of the Highway Trust Fund by
$371.520 (almost double).   

Driver?s Ed restoration after a continuation review:  $32M.  Shouldn?t this be a fee paid to cover?

  DMV reduces funds for maintenance of the State?s highway
infrastructure ($7,709,150) while increasing funds for short line railroads by
$2M and maintains funding for the Ferry division with $11,349,869.  Priorities, people. 

Adds 291 full time employees with most of
these in Corrections to staff Central Prison Hospital and Mental Health
Facility and to staff hospital and mental health facility at the Woman?s
prison.  Eliminates 82 vacant positions.   

Grossly under funds the Rainy Day Fund with $5 M,  contributions to State Health Plan with $276 M  and State Retirement System $180 M

 
Cuts Victim?s Compensation Fund  by $1.3 M while increasing mental health and hospital care
to prisoners by almost  $1B  and increases education programs for
prisoners by $2.4 M   

Has the economy helped eliminate crime?  Youth Development Centers have seen a
decline in commitments, (i-7), 
Division of Prisons? new admissions are down (I-9),and actual
expenditures for victim?s compensation is down from last year (I-14)  

New Corporate Welfare: 
$41 Million

Increases fee to rent the three state aquariums for special
events instead of using General Funds. Dept of Commerce would charge fees for brochure space in
Welcome Centers. 

funding for mosquito and tick management programs by
$158,096 Ouch!

  Eliminates Medicaid funding ($125,148) for breast reduction,
breast lift, panniculectomy (removes hanging fat and skin, typically after
massive weight loss) and surgery for severe obesity. 

Reduces funding for Smart Start by $10 M but still funds it at $183 M

Expects to realize $6 M in Child Development Division
savings through better management and eliminating fraud and inaccurate
payments.  Why weren’t we doing this before?

Joe, Terry and i will have additional comments over the course of the budget discussion and votes.  The second reading vote is scheduled for tomorrow, third on Thursday.  Check back here and follow us on http://twitter.com/JohnLockeNC and TweetNCGA