Alabama's Budget For 2010 Could Be In Trouble

The director of the Legislative Fiscal Office, Joyce Bigbee,
said today it appears this year's $6.3 billion education budget
will have to be cut $360 million due to declining tax revenue, and
next year's budget will have to be $341 million smaller than this
year's trimmed-back budget.
That's a cut of more than $700 million in two years. It would
drop the budget to $5.7 billion.
She said this year's General Fund budget will have to be trimmed
from $2 billion to $1.8 billion due to declining revenue. Then next
year's may have to be cut to $1.4 billion.
Bigbee made the forecast to legislators on the first day of
their annual budget hearings in Montgomery. Her forecast was based
on declining state tax revenue due to the recession.
Lawmakers said the forecast likely means fewer state employees
and teachers, delays in purchasing computers and textbooks for
schools, and higher tuition for college students.
Gov. Bob Riley will present his revenue forecast and recommended
budgets to the Legislature during the first week in February.