Final
Review of Legislative Budget

COMMITTEE ON EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Votes:
Action Taken:
Moved budget request. Senator Hillman moved to a
Moved to approve legislative branch budget request		PASS
PASS

11:53 AM -- Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by the chair, Senator Fitz-Gerald. Members present included Senators Gordon and Hillman; and Representatives Madden, Romanoff, and Stengel. Legislative Council Staff present were: Kirk Mlinek, Director, Legislative Council Staff, Dan Chapman, Betsy Holdredge, Jennifer Thomsen, and Cathy Eslinger.


11:53 AM -- Review of the Legislative Branch Budget Request for FY 2005-06

Kirk Mlinek, Director, Legislative Council Staff, reviewed the provisions of the legislative budget request for FY 2005-06. A copy of the full legislative branch budget request for FY 2005-06 is available on file with the Legislative Council Staff and the Office of State Archives. Mr. Mlinek noted that representatives of each legislative agency were present if questions arose. He also acknowledged Dan Chapman and Betsy Holdredge, Legislative Council Staff, for their work in preparing the budget request. The overall legislative department budget request is for an increase of 4.35 percent. Personal services comprise most of the increase. Mr. Mlinek discussed the fact that the budget request complies with the Joint Budget Committee common policies. Mr. Mlinek noted that the funding did not include funding for legislative aides, but did include the full organizational dues to the four member organizations to which the General Assembly belongs. It also does not include items in the Long Bill. He discussed the range of increases of the legislative service agency budgets, which range from 3.26 percent to 4.55 percent.


11:56 AM

Mr. Mlinek discussed a hand-out prepared by Joint Budget Committee Staff Director, John Ziegler (Attachment A.) The memorandum, dated March 1, 2005, responds to questions regarding how the growth in legislative branch appropriations over the past five years compares to growth in appropriations for the executive and judicial branches. Mr. Mlinek noted that while Mr. Ziegler was not present due to illness, he would be happy to respond to questions regarding the memorandum the following week.


11:57 AM

Senator Hillman asked when organizational dues come due to the General Assembly. Mr. Mlinek stated that those come due at the beginning of the new fiscal year, usually in July or August.


11:59 AM

Senator Hillman asked that payment of the organizational dues for the Energy Council and the Education Commission of the States be withheld until full funding for the legislative aides program in FY 2005-06 can be assured. Senator Fitz-Gerald asked questions regarding the legislative aides funding through the Legislative Legal Expenses Cash Fund, as proposed under Senate Bill 05-157, currently making its way through the legislative process during this session. Senator Hillman asked additional questions about the Legislative Legal Expenses Cash Fund.

BILL:Review of Legislative Budget
TIME: 12:01:22 PM
MOVED:Romanoff
MOTION:Moved budget request. Senator Hillman moved to amend the motion to withhold funding for the Energy Council and Education Commission of the States until the middle of the fiscal year 2005-06, December 31, 2005. Senator Hillman's motion passed on a 4-2 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Gordon
Yes
Hillman
Yes
Madden
No
Stengel
Yes
Romanoff
Yes
Fitz-Gerald
No
Not Final YES: 4 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


12:01 PM

Mr. Mlinek responded to questions about partial payments to National Conference of State Legislatures and the Council of State Governments in the current fiscal year and the fact that no payments had been made yet to the Energy Council and Educational Commission of the States for FY 2004-05. Mr. Mlinek responded to questions about organizational responses to tardy payments or nonpayments of dues. He said that the organizations have continued to be responsive and that services have not been impacted.


BILL:Review of Legislative Budget
TIME: 12:07:05 PM
MOVED:Romanoff
MOTION:Moved to approve legislative branch budget request, as amended by Senator Hillman's motion. The motion was adopted on a 6-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Gordon
Yes
Hillman
Yes
Madden
Yes
Stengel
Yes
Romanoff
Yes
Fitz-Gerald
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





12:07 PM

The committee adjourned