Lawmakers on the House budget-writing committee are starting to comb through the details of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s nearly $25 billion budget proposal. The Appropriations Committee opens its budget hearings today, with an overview of the governor’s 2011-12 spending plan. Jindal’s budget closes a $1.6 billion gap with a mix of cuts, one-time patches and long-term financing changes. Criticism already has been lodged about the use of one-time money, the impact on state employees and the spending tied to legislation that hasn’t yet passed. Lawmakers are questioning the proposed sale of three state prisons and critiquing a proposed constitutional change to help pay for TOPS, the state’s free college scholarship program. The new fiscal year begins July 1. Lawmakers are expected to craft a final version of the budget in June.
House committee opens hearings on Jindal budget
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