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JBC staff: General Fund sits roughly $7.3 million above reserve after House changes
Summary
Craig Harper, Joint Budget Committee staff, told the committee the House‑passed long bill and recent adjustments leave about $7.3 million available above the constitutional reserve after a $3.1 million transfer to the Controlled Maintenance Trust Fund.
Craig Harper, JBC staff, told the Joint Budget Committee that the House‑passed long bill plus agreed technical adjustments leave about $7.3 million above the constitutional reserve after accounting for a $3.1 million transfer to the Controlled Maintenance Trust Fund.
Harper walked members through a table in his memo showing the House passed long bill appropriation is $8.1 million higher than the introduced bill and summarized offsets the committee had discussed, including $300,000 in package legislation changes, a $2.3 million increase in the estimated cost of the adult dental benefit and an offsetting $2.3 million change tied to a proposed PTC tax‑credit withdrawal.
"All in all, General Fund obligations are $4,800,000 lower than we expected when you introduced the long bill package," Harper said, adding that the net position is about $7.3 million above the reserve after the controlled maintenance transfer. He warned the committee that future forecasts and supplemental needs could change the picture.
Committee members pressed for caution. Senator Kirkmeyer and Representative Sirota said they preferred not to spend all of the available balance, noting uncertainty in the June forecast and upcoming property tax credit impacts the committee expects in 2025.
The memo Harper cited and his explanation formed the basis for conference committee choices the Joint Budget Committee made later in the session.
