Education and Environment panel reviews governor's budget items, advances WSI budget to full committee

Chair Soerfaka called the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division back to order and opened a review of the governor's budget, saying the House version largely matched the governor’s request.

The committee discussed a proposed children’s cabinet appropriation tied to Senate Bill 2176, funding for vacant FTEs and staff development, and internship line items. Cole, a staff member assisting the committee, summarized differences between the governor’s request and the House amendments and noted the committee had not previously acted on the package. Maria Nessa, chief of staff to the lieutenant governor and senior advisor to Governor Armstrong, told the committee the Senate had held a hearing on Senate Bill 2176 and that an amendment had been offered to remove the bill’s full appropriation while keeping its policy language intact. “For the record, my name is Maria Nessa and I serve as chief of staff to lieutenant governor and senior advisor to governor Armstrong,” she said.

Committee members and staff discussed amounts tied to the children’s cabinet and related staffing lines. Staff described the children’s cabinet funding in the House package as two parts: $35,000 ongoing and $30,000 one-time, for a total of $65,000 in the House-amended current budget. Committee discussion noted an original figure tied to the bill drafter that appeared larger; staff explained that the larger figure included an FTE and associated benefits that had been removed, leaving the $65,000 total. Committee members also flagged the need to reconcile temporary and salary-line items, including a $20,000 internship allocation that appears in salary lines.

Ross Layton, chief of staff to the governor, said the administration would prefer funding for a position be restored to the full 24-month biennium but that the administration could accept an 18-month funding window if the committee preferred. “For the record, my name is Ross Layton. I’m chief of staff to the governor,” he said.

Committee members asked about a staff professional development line after raising prior concerns when a different entity sought similar funding. Layton and staff said the line would support travel and training opportunities for a new staff, including participation in programs offered by the Western Governors Association and the National Governors Association.

The panel then reviewed the Workforce Safety and Insurance (WSI) budget. Committee members noted the House had made few substantive changes from the governor’s request, aside from the vacant FTE pool removal. One member asked whether the committee could simply move the WSI package forward; another observed no amendment was necessary because the House and governor versions largely aligned. A motion was made to move the WSI budget out of the division and a second was recorded. The roll-call vote recorded ayes from Chairman Sorvagg, Senator Conley, Senator Thomas, Senator Scheible and Senator Meyer; no no votes were recorded in the transcript. The motion carried and the WSI budget will go to the full committee for consideration.

Committee leaders said they planned to reconvene later in the week to continue work on parks and historic funding items and to schedule additional review of water and DPI matters before final action.