Senator Hilliard pushes budget-effectiveness review, urges 2% savings target

Senator Lyle Hilliard used opening-floor time to outline the Senate’s approach to the 2015 appropriations process, urging all members to attend early subcommittee meetings and to participate in a budget-effectiveness review intended to identify internal savings.

Hilliard told senators the review should begin with 8 a.m. subcommittee meetings over the first days of the session and asked each subcommittee to develop a set of options to reach a soft target of approximately 2% savings. "We've asked appropriation subcommittees to participate in a budget effectiveness review with a soft target of finding a 2% in savings," he said.

He framed the review as a way to evaluate existing programs, stress-test budgets against cyclical revenue changes, and find funds that can be reallocated to higher priorities. Hilliard cited the state’s existing budget baseline and said the exercise previously identified about $70,000,000 in reallocable funds.

Hilliard noted that the state currently operates with a multi‑billion-dollar budget baseline and emphasized careful scrutiny before spending new revenue. He said participating subcommittees would be encouraged to present options during their first three or four meetings, with the goal of identifying internal reallocations that could fund priorities without new revenue.

The president and appropriations leaders indicated they will seek to honor subcommittee priorities as the legislature moves toward a final budget at the end of the session.