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Appropriations committee adopts amendment and advances Senate Bill 160, Republican members oppose
Summary
The House Appropriations Committee adopted amendment A01873 and advanced Senate Bill 160, a general fund appropriations measure for fiscal year 2526, on a party-line vote after members raised objections about late distribution of a lengthy amendment and the timeline for completing a budget.
The House Appropriations Committee adopted amendment A01873 and voted to advance Senate Bill 160, the general fund appropriations measure for fiscal year 2526, to the full House on a party-line vote.
The committee executive director summarized the bill at the outset: "We have Senate Bill 160, which provides for general fund appropriations for fiscal year 2526." That description framed the brief committee debate before members considered amendment A01873, which the chairman identified as his amendment.
Representative Krupa objected to the process and timing, saying, "This budget is a hundred days late, and I have been as strong an advocate as anyone that Senate Bill 160 be brought up and pushed to a floor vote. ... Less than 40 minutes ago, we were given a 118 page amendment with a 50,000,000,000 plus budget. I represent almost 64,000 people. They deserve, at a minimum, that I have an opportunity to actually read what I'm voting on." Krupa said the late distribution left no time for public input or review by affected agencies and announced she would vote no.
A member speaking for the Republican caucus reiterated that position: "All Republicans will be voting in the negative on the amendment to Senate Bill 160," and later repeated that Republicans would vote against the amended bill.
The committee chair defended moving forward, saying the delay was unacceptable and arguing the body needed to act: "This has to stop. There's going to come a time ... Money is running out. Folks won't be able to pay their teachers." The chair also described recent budget negotiations and cited several versions of the statewide total mentioned in committee discussion: a proposed $51.6 billion, a $50.6 billion figure, and a $50.25 billion figure.
After a roll call, the chair announced, "Seeing that the ayes have it, amendment A01873 has been adopted. Before this committee now is Senate Bill 160 as amended by A01873." With no further discussion recorded, the chair then announced that "Senate Bill 160 will pass this committee as amended by A01873 and return to the full floor of the House of Representatives." The record shows Democratic members voted in favor while Republican members announced they would vote in the negative.
The committee did not set additional hearings or delay the bill; the next procedural step recorded in the meeting was sending the amended bill to the House floor for consideration.
