MONTGOMERY, Alabama — State lawmakers today gave final legislative approval to both state budgets for next year, the education budget and the operating budget for non-education agencies.
Each spending plan for the 2012 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, will become law only if Gov. Robert Bentley signs it.
The education budget and related spending bills would spend $5.59 billion from the Education Trust Fund, an increase of $240.7 million, 4.5 percent, from this year. That increase would be dwarfed by the loss of as much as $462.5 million in federal stimulus money that supplemented trust fund spending this year but will be gone next year.
The Education Trust Fund is the main source of state tax dollars for public schools, two-year colleges and universities.
The budget would pay for 1,125 fewer teacher positions at public schools next year. For comparison, public schools in the 2010-11 academic year employed 47,573 teachers.
Lawmakers passed the budget in May, but Gov. Robert Bentley last week sent it back and requested a change that would have adjusted the budget if a bill to make teachers and other public educators pay more for pension coverage were to die.
But the Senate gave that bill final legislative approval today, so Bentley’s amendment wasn’t needed. The House of Representatives today voted 95-1 to reject Bentley’s change and then the Senate voted 22-9 to reject it, and sent the budget back to Bentley for his signature.
Under the budget, Education Trust Fund spending next year would total:
– $3.62 billion, an increase of $174.6 million, 5.1 percent, for the foundation program, the main source of state money for classroom instruction and transportation for public schools for kindergarten through 12th grade.
– $1.04 billion, an increase of $51.4 million, 5.2 percent, for public universities.
– $320.1 million, a decrease of $1.9 million, 0.6 percent, for the public two-year college system.
The Legislature-approved operating budget and related spending bills would spend a maximum of $1.77 billion from the state General Fund in the 2012 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, an increase of $1781.1 million, 11.4 percent, from this year.
General Fund spending would be cut by roughly $21 million if Senate Bill 440, which would reduce the state cost of providing lawyers for indigent defendants, doesn’t pass later today or tonight.
Next year, $235 million in federal stimulus money that supplemented General Fund spending this year won’t be available, according to the Legislative Fiscal Office, a loss greater than next year’s proposed increase in General Fund money.
Lawmakers passed the operating budget in May, but Bentley sent it back with suggested changes.
The House of Representatives today voted 83-15 to go along with the changes. The Senate last week voted 30-1 to go along with them. Among other things, Bentley’s amendment proposed raising General Fund spending for Medicaid by $3.3 million next year.
Lawmakers today also approved a photo ID requirement bill for voters.
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