Alabama Governor Riley Sends General Fund Budget Back with Changes

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Suggestions include restoring cuts to prisons, making full funding of earmarks contingent on money being available

May 14, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley on Thursday sent the Fiscal Year 2010 General Fund budget back to the Legislature with changes to restore some funding for the Department of Corrections and reduce funding for earmarks inserted by legislators.

The Governor’s proposed changes would restore $4.2 million the Legislature cut from the already cash-strapped Department of Corrections. Governor Riley’s proposed changes would also make half of the funding legislators earmarked for festivals or other projects in their districts contingent on the money being available.

“I’m disappointed the budget they passed makes funding for what many would call ‘pork projects’ a higher priority than funding for essential government responsibilities like keeping prisoners locked up,” said Governor Riley. “Those festivals and other pet projects they want funded may be nice to have, but making sure we keep prisoners locked up is more important. Keeping prisoners locked up must take priority and the budget should reflect that.”

GOVERNOR RILEY’S EXECUTIVE AMENDMENT

· The General Fund budget passed by the Legislature cut funding for essential state services, such as Corrections, Medicaid and Mental Health in order to fund nonessential pet projects.

· The Governor’s Executive Amendment ensures the most essential state functions - such as keeping criminals locked up - will be funded before fully funding nonessential projects.

FUNDING FOR CORRECTIONS

· Making sure we keep criminals locked up is a basic and essential responsibility of state government. It’s what people expect government to do-keep them safe. Under the Bedford Budget, Alabamians are less safe.

· Everybody knows our prisons are cash strapped. Commissioner Allen has said we would have to release criminals. There is a federal lawsuit about prison conditions, and if we lose, we face the possibility of having to release criminals or raise taxes. Why would we give the plaintiffs ammunition in this case by cutting funding for the Corrections Department?

· Currently, we only have 1 corrections officer on duty for every 250 inmates at any given time at any given prison. Cutting funding for corrections will mean more prisoners being managed by even fewer prison guards, and that’s dangerous for Alabamians.

· Prisoners don’t have cable TV, and it’s ridiculous to suggest that’s what this is about, as Senator Bedford as done. This is about keeping criminals locked up.

· We operate America’s cheapest prison system. We’re not trying to make prisoners more comfortable. We’re trying to make sure they stay locked up.

BACKGROUND ON BEDFORD BUDGET’S EXPANSION OF GOVERNMENT FUNDED HEALTH INSURANCE

· The Department of Public Health has said the governor’s executive amendment will fully fund Alabama’s nationally acclaimed ALL KIDS program at its current eligibility level. Even with the Governor’s executive amendment, funding for ALL KIDS will increase $10 million over last year.

· Not only do we have the lowest percentage of uninsured children in the southeast, we’re one of the best in the country. Alabama ranks #5 in the nation in percentage of children with health insurance coverage.

· That’s because we have a great ALL KIDS program, which we all support. No one is against ALL KIDS.

· Alabamians are conservative. They do not believe a sweeping expansion of government is something we should rush into without serious and thoughtful study and debate, especially at a time when the state’s budgets are already strapped.

· The Bedford Budget would mandate a big expansion of government - not to help the poor, but for families making up to $66,000 a year who already provide health insurance for their children.

· The Bedford budget would mandate that the taxpayers pay for children of families who make up to $66,000-almost twice the median income in Alabama -while cutting essential funding to keep criminals where they belong - behind bars.

· The Bedford Budget is not about providing health insurance coverage for kids that don’t have health insurance. This is about who pays for it.

· Why should a family making $44,000 per year be forced to pay taxes to provide health insurance for kids from families making $66,000 per year? Because that’s exactly what we would do under the Bedford budget.

· Alabamians want limited government, not big government. They want government to do the basics-keep criminals locked up. They don’t want the government to come in and provide taxpayer-funded health care to families who can afford it on their own.

· Alabamians don’t think government is the answer to every problem. When we have a general fund budget propped up by stimulus money for the next two years, now is not the time to expand government programs.

Source: Alabama Governor