Alabama Senate leader: Stop growth of government, cap spending on Medicaid, prisons

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May 17, 2015

Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh (R-Anniston)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh is concerned with the massive growth seen in recent years of government programs like Medicaid and corrections, prompting him to offer a constitutional amendment capping them as a certain percentage of the budget.

Currently, Medicaid makes up approximately 9 percent of the state’s total discretionary spending (both the General Fund and education budget), and corrections makes up 5.1 percent.

Marsh’s bill would cap those programs at 10 percent and 5.5 percent, allowing some room for growth, but force accountability to rein in spending.

Because the revenue streams that grow with the economy are mostly dedicated to the education budget, the programs funded by the General Fund have grown at a faster pace than the budget as a whole.

Both the Medicaid and corrections budgets paid by the state increased by approximately 51 percent between fiscal years 2004 and 2013, while the general fund budget as a whole has increased by 45 percent.

“Because of the budget situation, we have been forced to take a deep dive into the issues with the General Fund and look at ways to make deliverable changes in the way we spend taxpayer money,” Marsh said. “This bill gives both Medicaid and corrections room to grow from their current allocation but caps the amount so we can begin to control spending within those two programs.”

The constitutional amendment wouldn’t go into effect unless it was approved by a majority of the people of Alabama.

“I think it is only fair that we give the hard working taxpayers of Alabama the right to vote on this issue and see if this is a road they want to go down to fix the long term issues with the budget,” said Marsh.