Vol 30, Issue 2 Print Issue

Charting the Budget

House and Senate budgeteers say their first efforts — the budgets filed on both sides of the rotunda this week — are mere starting points. This isn't where they'll end up, etc. etc., etc. That said, the House came in with a budget that is 1.15 percent smaller than the current budget. The Senate's starter is 1.61 percent smaller than the current model. And the current version will swell in a few weeks when lawmakers add supplemental appropriations to it to cover impending costs of Medicaid, fighting wildfires, medical care in state prisons and other sundries. Here's a look at the new proposals, by broad subject area, comparing the proposals to the current budget and to each other.

 
Budget by House and Senate, All Funds ($ in Millions)
FunctionEstimated/Budgeted 2012-13*Recommend 2014-15 (House)Change from Current (House)Recommend 2014-15 (Senate)Change from Current (Senate)
General Government $4,881.1 $3,890.9 -20.29% $3,877.8 -20.55%
Health and Human Services $68,632.3 $70,999.1 3.45% $70,033 2.04%
Public Education $52,389.5 $53,530.3 2.18% $53,617.5 2.34%
Higher Education $23,288.4 $16,875.8 -27.54% $17,015.1 -26.94%
The Judiciary $648.2 $640.9 -1.13% $640.9 -1.13%
Public Safety and Criminal Justice $11,742.8 $11,219 -4.46% $11,231.6 -4.35%
Natural Resources $4,934.2 $4,593.6 -6.90% $4,565.9 -7.46%
Business and Economic Development $22,315.8 $24,831.7 11.27% $24,804.3 11.15%
Regulatory $707 $764.7 8.16% $688.6 -2.60%
The Legislature $348.9 $357.3 2.41% $357.3 2.41%
Total, All Functions $189,888.2 $187,703.3 -1.15% $186,832 -1.61%