Joint Finance committee approves technical corrections and program-maintenance budgets; CEC and health-insurance decisions deferred

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee approved a series of technical corrections and program‑maintenance appropriations on Jan. 17, 2025, adopting adjustments to account structures and setting base budgets for multiple state agencies. Most motions passed unanimously; two Health and Human Services motions drew recorded dissent and one committee member expressed concern about a departmental realignment.

The committee opened by accepting corrections to prior appropriations. Janet Jessup, budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, told members that reappropriated broadband monies had been placed in the Department of Commerce’s commerce program last year instead of the newly added Broadband Office and that the committee needed to move those dollars into the broadband program for transparency. “This action would remove the monies that were reappropriated to the commerce program, and then also add them back into the broadband office so they can be tracked for transparency moving forward,” Jessup said. The removals and additions were presented as two offsetting motions and passed on unanimous roll calls.

Committee members then approved a technical correction to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that replaces an incorrect reduction from the agency’s general‑fund appropriation with a proper general‑fund transfer, and a $2,000,000 transfer into the DEQ general fund for water‑quality work. Both passed on unanimous recorded votes.

The committee also approved two internal reclassifications for the Department of Health and Welfare that move amounts from trustee and benefit payment categories into operating expenditures for (1) the substance‑abuse treatment and prevention program ($160,000) and (2) the physical health services program ($240,000). Both motions passed unanimously.

After technical corrections, staff presented the program‑maintenance budgets — the “base” appropriations…