Alabama budget chairmen: ‘no proration or mid-year cuts’

MONTGOMERY — On Tuesday, the first day of the 2014 fiscal year, the Education Budget chairmen of the Alabama House and Senate announced that the state’s education budget will avoid proration and mid-year cuts, a positive development they say reflects Republicans’ responsible budgeting practices.

“Unlike the budget situation unfolding in Washington, Alabama Republicans have put the state on firm financial footing by enacting fiscally responsible reforms to ensure we are not spending more than we are taking in,” Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, said. “We have avoided proration and we are paying down our debts because of the discipline and leadership shown by state lawmakers. These budgeting practices should be an example for Congress to follow.”

Both Pittman and his fellow budget chairman, Rep. Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, said that Alabama’s economic growth has also allowed the state to pay down a large chunk of the $437 million that was borrowed from the Alabama Trust Fund’s rainy day account.

“This Republican majority has crafted sound, conservative, responsible education budgets over recent years that have weathered the economic downturn, avoided devastating proration and substantially paid down our debt to the Rainy Day Fund while at the same time reforming and improving education in our state without raising taxes,” Poole declared. “Unlike the prior Democratic majority, Republicans have made the tough, common-sense decisions necessary to ensure we’re living within our means, continuing to fund essential and innovative programs, and keeping on the path to improve Alabama’s public education system.”

Pittman and Poole said they have spoken with Alabama State Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice and will sit in on the next Board of Education meeting when the School Board will discuss the education budget.

Alabama’s Education budget has not experienced proration since Republicans took control of the legislature in 2010.

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