First, I would like to congratulate the Timberlake Tigers for being the Class C State Champions in football this year. They had a wonderful season. I know these young men and their coaches worked hard to reach this achievement, and they deserve to bask in some glory of the championship they won.

Now, back to legislative matters. As the chair of the House Appropriations & Budget Subcommittee for Natural Resources and Regulatory Services, I presided recently over budget hearings for the state agencies under the committee's purview. These hearings give lawmakers a chance to hear budget requests f...