Lawmakers debate cuts to DOC personnel and COLA; proposed cuts mostly fail or are withdrawn
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Summary
Multiple amendments aimed at reducing Department of Corrections personnel costs and COLA adjustments were debated April 1. One $20 million denial was withdrawn; two other decrements (Amendments 52 and 53) failed in committee votes.
Members of the House Finance Committee spent significant time on April 1 debating proposals to restrain growth in the Department of Corrections (DOC) budget, particularly personal services and cost-of-living adjustments.
Representative Jimmy moved measures aimed at holding DOC to existing budgets and refusing additional personal-service funding, saying ‘‘The Department of Corrections general fund budget has gone up in average of 5.5%. Each year for the last 10 years…this is just too much.’’ One $20 million denial (Amendment 51) was withdrawn by its sponsor after debate about legal and operational consequences.
Representative Moore moved Amendment 52 to reduce DOC personal-service costs for correctional facilities and inmate transportation to FY26 levels; supporters argued the department repeatedly requests more funds, while opponents warned of recruitment, retention and overtime impacts. The amendment failed on a 5–6 roll-call vote.
Representative Jimmy later offered Amendment 53 to deny COLA adjustments included in DOC’s budget, which Legislative Finance staff said totaled about $8,800,000. Alexi Painter of Legislative Finance testified that denying COLA has precedent but is rare and typically sends parties back to the bargaining table; members were concerned about possible effects on collective-bargaining agreements and staffing. Amendment 53 failed by a 1–10 margin.
Debate highlighted a split between members urging fiscal restraint and others warning that cuts to pay or benefits could worsen recruitment and increase overtime costs, offsetting any savings. Representative Hannon urged investment in upstream programs to reduce incarceration rates and long-term costs.
