Legislators may not return to Juneau nest Tuesday if leaders find they have no reason to reconvene.
In the latest chapter of the budget debate, majority leaders say there’s still no budget agreement. If Republicans and Democrats can’t agree, Speaker Mike Chenault said there’s no point reconvening May 12. Chenault said this year’s trimmer budget is just the beginning…
Speaker. Chenault (R-Nikiski): “Well I think you’re going to see, I won’t say bigger cuts, but you’re going to see cuts that really kind of get down to the meat and the bones of some of the programs. There were some that we went after this year that made sense, some that maybe didn’t make sense but certainly a number of those were places that we need to constrict the growth of government. Next we’ll probably be employees.”
Budget Director Pat Pitney said the price of oil would have to rebound to $130 per barrel in order to balance the budget.
The Governor called Legislators into a special session to deal with the budget, Medicaid, and childhood sexual assault education. After just three days, the upper and lower houses agreed to a two-week recess while budget committees continued their work and construction began on the capitol building.
Chenault and Senate Majority Leader John Coghill say they expect more clarity in the next few days.
The Governor’s office says Walker expects lawmakers to reconvene as planned.