Senate advances resolution limiting initial base budget to 95% of last year’s appropriations

Senate Joint Resolution 8, sponsored by Senator Niederhauser, received floor consideration Feb. 13, 2008, and passed after members discussed whether an initial base budget should be set at 95% of the prior year’s ongoing appropriations to force subcommittee scrutiny of growth.

Niederhauser said the intent is to avoid setting a base that includes last year’s growth, which can make subsequent reductions difficult. “If we choose to pass a base budget at the beginning of the session, it’s limiting that to 95% of last year’s appropriations,” he said, arguing it preserves at least 95% as a fail‑safe to prevent a government shutdown while requiring subcommittees to review increases.

Colleagues asked practical questions about how a 95% base would be implemented — whether cuts would be evenly applied or targeted by program — and Niederhauser and others said subappropriation chairs would need to work through line items and that the fail‑safe ensures ongoing operations. The Senate initially circled the resolution while members reviewed language and later uncircled and voted for final passage. The roll call recorded 15 yes votes, 9 no votes and 5 absences. The resolution was transmitted to the House for consideration.

Supporters framed SJR8 as restoring discipline to the base‑budget process and allowing subcommittees to examine growth and increases; supporters said fiscal analysts on subappropriation committees were already working on base‑budget reviews. Opponents cautioned about mechanical impacts on programs and urged careful implementation.

The resolution’s passage moves the procedural rule change to the House; if adopted into joint rules it would affect how the Legislature frames initial budgets in future sessions.