JFAC reviews proposed 2026 rescissions and cash transfers; votes set for Friday amid tax‑conformity uncertainty

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee heard a presentation from Keith Ivy, division manager for budget policy analysis, on proposed 2026 budget rescissions, agency‑level impacts and recommended cash transfers; the committee will take votes Friday to choose among reduction scenarios.

Ivy told members the packet includes a governor's holdback approach approximating a 3% reduction and additional scenarios agencies were asked to prepare. He presented figures the packet lists as $116,000,000 in general‑fund reductions, $9,000,000 from dedicated funds, $52,000,000 from federal funds — a total presented in the packet as $177,495,600 — and a reduction of almost 196.36 full‑time equivalent positions. Ivy said agencies supplied side‑by‑side spreadsheets and narrative reports to help work groups evaluate the options.

Why it matters: committee members said the size and timing of cuts — and whether they are treated as ongoing base reductions or as one‑time measures — will affect agency operations, supplementals and services across education, health and corrections. Multiple lawmakers cautioned that uncertainty about the prospective cost of tax‑conformity changes and recent revenue volatility make it…