This month, more than 200 state agencies (including institutions) are going through joint budget hearings. The process involves the governor’s office, lieutenant governor’s office, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and both the Senate Finance Committee and House Appropriations Committee. These hearings are conducted by budget and policy staffers from the various offices. Live and archived videos of the LBB hearings are available online.
The main significance behind these budget hearings is for each agency to present its Legislative Appropriation Request (LAR). These lay out the agency’s funding requirements and needs for the upcoming legislative biennium. It also gives the public a preview of the agency’s key priorities.
Over the next several weeks, these budget hearings really begin the nuts and bolts of the budget process—leading up to the LBB preparing an introductory budget version for both appropriations committees that may vary significantly between the two proposed budgets.
Throughout the upcoming legislative session, TAC’s County Information Program (CIP) will provide periodic updates on the various stages of the state budget process and how counties are impacted.
During the last legislative session, CIP tracked and reported on more than 60 state-funded programs that had a direct impact on county government. The state budget (SB 1) appropriated over $216.6 billion for the current biennium (fiscal years 2018-19).
For guidance in requesting state funding for your county project, TAC’s "A State Budget Guide for County Officials" provides an overview of the state’s budget process.
For more information on this topic, please contact Paul K. Emerson at (800) 456-5974.