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Senate amends supplemental appropriations bill amid debate over higher-education increases and highway-fund tradeoffs
Summary
Senators amended House Bill 3 (Supplemental Appropriations Act 2) to add and clarify multiple intent-language amendments, including a contested late-inserted clause on exploring high-deductible health plans, and adopted an amendment reallocating $1.5 million from the Centennial Highway Fund toward higher-education salary adjustments; the reallocation prompted floor debate about delaying rural road projects.
House Bill 3 (Supplemental Appropriations Act 2) dominated late-evening debate on March 1. Senators considered a sequence of technical and substantive amendments to the House-passed bill and engaged in extended discussion over two themes: an insertion of intent language regarding the state system of public and higher education and its health-plan-benefit options (including high-deductible plans and medical-savings accounts), and a floor amendment that reallocated $1.5 million from the Centennial Highway Fund to increase higher-education salary adjustments.
Intent language and potential conflict concern
Senator Steele called for removal of intent language that the House had inserted; Senator Allen raised concerns that the language reflected a presentation from an individual who…
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