House Finance Division II adopts technical HB2 fixes, readies budget work sessions

House Finance Division II met in a work session and on a series of mostly technical items adopted four amendments to House Bill 2 and approved a housekeeping item in House Bill 1 while laying out the committee's schedule and priorities for the coming week.

Mr. Landrigan, committee staff, told members the division was facing a possible roughly $200 million reduction to Division 2 spending and said a proposed lottery change could offset about half of that amount if the committee incorporates it into the budget. "We're talking about cutting about $200,000,000 out of Division 2," he said. "...there is a plan to, try to address that."

The committee adopted a set of technical changes intended to remove duplicate or misplaced language from HB2 when identical provisions already are in other bills that have passed the House:

- The committee voted to delete section 81 of HB2 (language on CCSNH dual and concurrent enrollment) because equivalent language appears in separate legislation. The motion was adopted by show of hands and recorded as unanimous.

- The committee voted to delete sections 143 and 144 of HB2 (language on extra-duty functions for police standards and training specialists) because the same provisions are in House Bill 778, which had passed the House; that motion was adopted by show of hands and recorded as unanimous.

- The committee accepted Amendment 0813 to correct an apparent drafting error in section 151 of HB2 (removing a sentence that had been intended for deletion). The motion to adopt Amendment 0813 was approved unanimously by show of hands.

- The committee adopted Amendment 0892H to delete…