Joint Budget Committee Discussing Cutting LG Office Budget by 38%
This is one is still developing but according to reports, the Joint Budget Committee is considering an amendment from Rep. Keith Ingram (D-West Memphis) that would cut the appropriation for the Lieutenant Governor’s office from $366,000 to $228,000 primarily by cutting most salary positions.
The proposed amendment apparently took the LG chief of staff Michael Cook by surprise. This amendment will be brought back up tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM after Bill Halter and his staff has time to respond.
What is the reasoning behind the 38% decrease in the budget for the Lieutenant Governor’s office? Could paybacks be a factor?
UPDATE – Amanda Manatt, Arkansas House Communication Director, reports that the meeting tomorrow will be live streamed.
UPDATE II – Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor Mark Darr weighed in on the proposed cuts last night.
“Lieutenant Governor Halter has grown the budget of his office substantially in the past four years while Lieutenant Governor Win Rockefeller held the line and kept the budget of his office in check,” said Darr. “Should I be elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor, I will work to serve my constituents in an efficient manner and be a good steward of taxpayer dollars much like Lieutenant Governor Rockefeller.”
UPDATE III – I was not able to watch as they moved the committee meeting to a room without a live streaming camera at the request of Sen. Steve Faris but according Capsearch, the amendment failed to pass.
According to them, there was some discussion with Ingram noting the cost savings during a time of necessary budget cuts and Faris pointing out that the office is designed to be part time. Rep. Barbara Nix asked why the Lieutenant Governor’s office was being singled out and then the committee voted down the amendment.
End result – slap on the hand for Halter for rocking the boat and no actual budget cuts.
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
May be payback but the office needs to shrink. $366,000 !?!
It’s still a part time job. Need staff but not that many.
What says Darr and Keet?? Might just determine my vote.
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:45 pm
What did Halter do to Ingram?
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Are they trying to force him into the Senate race?
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:02 am
Are you kidding me!?! They purposely moved the meeting away from the cameras!?! When is Arkansas going to wake up and throw these bums out?
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:21 am
I’m w/ goldwater. It is atrocious that Faris asked to be moved away from the cameras AND that the committee approved that. How cowardly can you be?
February 24th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
[...] As previously noted, the Joint Budget Committee discussed an amendment offered by Rep. Keith Ingram (D-West Memphis) that would have cut the Lieutenant Governor’s office staff from four down to one. As a diligent reporter on the capitol beat, MacNeil wanted to know what Halter’s opinion was on the proposed cuts. So she caught up with him leading to this exchange. Halter: I am literally running to the Senate floor. [...]