Governor, House and Senate meet publicly to press budget transparency while sparring over tax cuts and savings

Governor opened a public session on the state budget with a prayer and a pledge to make the process as transparent as possible, urging lawmakers to keep recurring expenses in line with recurring revenue and to preserve the state’s savings. He said recurring revenue is “about 10,900,000,000” and that maintaining roughly $5,000,000,000 in savings is prudent.

House leaders highlighted a new budget transparency portal the chamber has been updating weekly and said the House’s top priorities include a tax cut and additional funding for sheriffs and police. The House described its proposal as a flat tax with a quarter‑percent cut tied to recurring revenue increases.

Senate leaders said they would not expect to finish a budget in one meeting and emphasized the empowered role of subcommittees in vetting line items publicly. The Senate noted it supports transparency but warned that some items must still be reviewed by full subcommittees and that not all items the House lists on the portal reflect final Senate positions.

The three principals repeatedly distinguished between recurring revenue and one‑time funds, with lawmakers pressing for a sustainable approach to any tax reduction. “A tax cut is an ongoing expense,” a Senate leader said, urging a cautious approach to avoid future shortfalls. The governor responded that tax relief is a priority but reiterated his central rule: do not let recurring obligations exceed recurring revenue.

Leaders agreed on the process going forward: disputed line items will go back to subcommittees for public review and votes, the Senate extended an invitation for joint, public subcommittee sessions, and the group scheduled a reconvening to review decisions after subcommittee meetings.