Executive Committee approves aide hours, placeholders and department budgets; eliminates special-session funding

The Executive Committee of the Legislative Council approved several budget decisions affecting the legislative branch and departmental budgets as staff briefed members on options to address a structural budget shortfall.

Staff presentation and proposed transfer: Natalie Castle of Legislative Council staff presented tables summarizing the legislative department's fiscal year 2025'26 budget request and said the department proposes a $4,400,000 transfer from the legislative department cash fund. Castle said that transfer would reduce the net general-fund impact by approximately 5 percent (the transfer calculates the net impact after moving cash funds). The packet shows a 1.5 percent increase in total all-funds spending and a 1.1 percent increase in the general-fund budget request before proposed adjustments and placeholders.

Aide budget: On a motion that the committee fund 1,800 hours per district (consistent with the current year), the committee approved funding aides at 1,800 hours per district. The motion passed on a recorded vote reported in the transcript as "passes on a vote of 4 to 2." The committee then…