Fiscal Committee authorizes $5 million supplemental appropriation after nonpublic session

After returning from a nonpublic session on March 21, the Fiscal Committee voted to authorize the receipt of an additional $5,000,000 from general funds for fiscal 2025 through June 30, 2025.

Committee discussion before the roll‑call vote centered on the adequate size of the supplementation and the need for ongoing oversight. Representative Walden said he would vote against the $5 million because he believed the administrator had previously requested $15 million and that providing smaller, repeated increments would be inefficient: "I will vote against this motion. I believe that ... he needs the $15,000,000 to get through the end of the year," Walden said. Senator Rosenbaum also said he would oppose the $5 million and urged that a larger amount was needed, noting the committee had heard an estimate of average claims and pending claims that implied a much larger total exposure.

Other members said they would support the smaller appropriation on the condition of more frequent reporting. Representative Edwards said he would vote for the $5 million while expressing reluctance and urging additional action later. Representative Leishman said he would vote yes but asked that the administrator appear before Fiscal at least monthly with reports. Senator Carson also supported the $5 million with the expectation the administrator would return to Fiscal next month and again before the end of the fiscal year.

The clerk then called a roll; the recorded tally in the transcript was 7 in favor and 3 opposed and the motion was adopted. Committee minutes, the chair said, should reflect that members reviewed the award process and available funds, and that the committee received an explanation of how attorney fees and outstanding loans associated with awards would be affected; the chair said there was "no reason to seal the minutes."

The appropriation request text read in the hearing (verbatim in the transcript) requested authorization "to receive an additional appropriation from the general funds not otherwise appropriate in the amount of $5,000,000 for fiscal 2025 through 06/30/2025." The transcript does not specify the program or fund in plain English; the motion language included internal codes that were not expanded during the public minutes.