Administration presents 'standstill' executive budget; teacher pay raise excluded pending constitutional amendment

Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barra told the Senate Finance Committee that the governor’s FY‑26 executive budget is deliberately a “standstill” spending plan, prepared without contingency language tied to a constitutional amendment voters will decide this month. “We’re not gonna do the whole presentation again, rest assured. But, I do wanna hit some of the high points … we’re not gonna do the whole presentation again, rest assured. But, I do wanna hit some of the high points,” Barra said as he opened the department’s overview.

The budget is built on the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) revenue forecast and a small REC change in collections; Deputy Commissioner Patrick Goldsmith told senators REC projected essentially flat revenues, which constrained state general fund available for new recurring commitments.

Why it matters: the administration designed the proposal to avoid new recurring spending that would depend on a pending constitutional amendment. If the amendment fails, the budget as presented will not include several high‑profile items supporters have sought.

Big picture and notable inclusions/exclusions

- Teacher pay raise:…