MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan added his department Wednesday to the list of government services that say they would be in jeopardy if a budget relying on cuts and reforms is passed by the State Legislature in the upcoming Special Session.
“Our scope of work is large and varied, from inspecting the small scales at the grocery store to regulating the pesticide companies that provide termite inspection and treatment,” said McMillan. “The department’s laboratories are among essential services that budget cuts would jeopardize.”
“Any further cuts will damage our ability to operate effectively,” McMillan continued. “We live with austerity and practice it every day, but the deeper the cuts to our appropriation, the more we will be forced to curtail essential services.”
The commissioner said chicken houses could go untested for avian flu, meat could go un-inspected, and underfunding the state’s seed lab could disrupt the $75 billion a year industry.
A budget proposed, but never passed by the legislature, in the first Special Session would have cut the Agriculture Department by $4.3 million. The budget passed by the legislature during the Regular Session, but vetoed by Governor Robert Bentley had a much more modest cut of $2.2 million.
While either of these cuts is a significant portion of appropriations the Department receives through the General Fund, the vast majority of its budget is supplied by earmarked funds.
In 2015 the Department of Agriculture and Industries budget was a total of $38,267,357, only $9,625,974 of which was appropriated through the General Fund. The remaining amount, around 75 percent of its total budget, is from earmarked funds, unable to be touched by the Legislature under current law.
In the last decade the Department’s growth has slightly outpaced inflation. In 2015 dollars, the Agriculture Department received $35,532,204 in 2005, so a cut of a few million dollars is essentially granting it level-funding over the last 10 years.
The commissioner’s statement yesterday has become a familiar tactic.
The Governor’s office and several executive agencies under its control have warned Alabamians all Summer of drastic cuts to vital services in hopes the prospect will inspire Alabamians to support tax increases.
In August the Alabama Law Enforcement Association announced it would close all but 4 Drivers’ License offices if their budget was cut, and the Department of Conservation warned it would close all or most of the state’s parks.
Local tax referendums across the state, however, have given a glimpse into the state’s overall appetite for tax hikes. Not a single one of the five tax increases voted on by Alabama counties and municipalities this summer has been successful.
The fact remains that the Alabama Legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget by October 1st.
Lawmakers will return to Montgomery on Tuesday, September 8th, to once again attempt to reach a compromise.
Like this article? Hate it? Follow me and let me know how you feel on Twitter!
— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.