Legislators scrape for any leftover funds

With almost all of the $9 billion budget spent, legislators began emptying their proverbial coffee cans, checking the couch cushions and pleading with fellow legislators for some of the relatively small change remaining.

Most of the leftover funds will cover the costs of dozens of bills with fiscal notes, which range from a few thousand to a few million dollars. There is also a continued push to pay for a number of still unfunded programs with either the spare cash or by tinkering with the budget approved by the Executive Appropriations Committee Wednesday.

That budget, which distributes $425 million in new revenue, will probably be approved Friday by the full Legislature through SB1 and HB301. There are also two other budget bills that will be introduced next week, one for public education funding, and the "Bill of Bills," which will balance the budget on Wednesday, the final night.

Within that "Bill of Bills," legislators can adjust the already approved budget, if needed, and sew up loose ends within the budget. That bill will include some additional compensation for state employees and funding for the fiscal note bills previously approved by Executive Appropriations that are not part of SB1 or HB301.

Both the House and Senate have $2 million to spend on their fiscal note bills, and members were voting on their priorities Thursday. Prior to the vote, Republican legislators made last-minute pitches for their bills and issues in an open House caucus and closed Senate caucus.

Among the items remaining to be funded are new programs, emergency funding to cover federal cuts and additional assistance for public education. They include:

• $6.2 million for the Drug Offenders Reform Act.

• $3 million for a motion picture incentive fund.

• $14 million for the STAR program.

• $15 million for beginning teacher incentives.

A number of legislators are also pushing for $4.5 million to help build a nursing home for veterans, and at least some of them are willing to siphon off transportation money to do it. The bill that approved the funding passed the House Thursday with a unanimous vote.

"We could tap into that $30 million one-time funding for transportation if we need to, but it's an opportunity we won't get back," Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said during the House majority caucus. "We can't vote like this and not put our money where out mouth is."