Lawmakers settle on money matters

Stick a fork in it. The $8 billion state budget is, for all intents and purposes, done. Or at least medium rare.

Legislative leadership and Gov. Olene Walker have struck a deal to fund Walker's $30 million reading program, with some late-night changes, and boost Medicaid funding by almost $1 million — all while keeping intact the Legislature's other budget priorities announced Thursday.

In short, the governor got most of what she wanted, lawmakers got what they wanted.

"We are in basic agreement," Walker said, adding her negotiations with GOP leadership were professional and friendly.

Legislative leaders agreed there was mutual respect but called the negotiations tense and said Walker was insistent on key points, including the reading initiative.

"This wasn't the gunfight at the OK Corral, nor was it a tea party," said Senate President Al Mansell, R-Sandy. "It was very serious negotiation."

The Senate passed Walker's reading initiative Friday night and sent it over to the House, which promptly changed the bill in a way certain to displease Republican senators and anger the governor. Senators were pledging not to go along with the changes, which included how the reading money would be distributed among schools.

In referring to budget negotiations, one GOP leader said Walker was both tough and charming, which made it difficult to play hard ball politics. "You just can't beat up your grandmother," he said.

While the big picture has been framed, dozens of bills, some that raise money and some that spend money, must still be passed for the budget to balance. There isn't always agreement on those bills, some of which were being considered late Friday, and if one doesn't pass the entire budget is thrown out of balance.

The negotiations were the result of GOP caucuses in the House and Senate that had approved only $5 million of Walker's $30 million request to boost reading performance in kindergarten through third grade.

By late Thursday night, lawmakers had agreed to up the ante to $15 million in state money, with another $15 million to come from local school districts, whose boards would have to boost property taxes to receive the state matching funds.