Flurry of programs funded

With their remaining few millions of dollars, legislators gave a last-minute boost Friday to cultural programs, human services and rural needs.

The Senate and House each released a list of prioritized fiscal note bills and other unfunded requests, attempting to close up any last-minute holes in the budget for the 2006 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Each chamber had $2 million to spend, and the priority lists were determined by legislators casting informal paper ballots on Thursday.

With their prioritized lists, legislators covered the costs of relatively small-money programs that can seem huge to those helped, such as $100,000 to fund additional educational offerings to state prisoners. On the other hand, it means that the dozens of fiscal note bills that were not prioritized — paying for things like new judges, ethnic diversity programs or an Internet pornography database — will have a very difficult time getting passed this session.

Still in play are fiscal-note bills that exceed $1 million, including a $6.2 million measure for the Drug Offenders Reform Act and $3 million for motion picture incentives. Those bills, which would probably have to be paid by tapping into the state's $35 million Rainy Day Fund or reducing funding for other programs, will be discussed Monday by leaders.

For the most part, legislators gave final approval to their prioritized fiscal-note bills Friday afternoon. Two budget bills, SB1 and HB301, already approved by legislative leaders, spend most of this year's new revenue. They passed their respective chambers Friday afternoon and will be voted on for final approval by the other chambers Monday morning.

"Basically, the money is now gone," said Senate budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan.

Among the items funded by the priority lists:

• $250,000 for rural business development.

• $337,500 for Children's Justice Center expansions around the state and a new center in Cedar City.

• $300,000 for rural medical residency training programs.

• $329,300 for mosquito abatement.

• $375,000 for a statewide global positioning reference network.

Legislators attempted to heed the call of some emergency funding needs, including giving $100,000 of a requested $400,000 to cover the cost of medication for HIV sufferers. There will also be $500,000 to help some people with mental health disabilities who previously received some Medicaid funding, although $3 million was needed to completely cover the shortfall.