The complicated budget process often gets contentious

It's the time of year when much of the focus in the Legislature turns to the state budget process. It's the one constitutional duty we have each year – to pass a balanced budget.

As it does most years, things get a bit contentious before we come to an agreement the majority can live with.

This year, the Senate threatened not to hear any House appropriations measures until they received full budget spreadsheets from the House. The House Appropriations and Budget chair countered that we need to fix a problem with the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 education budget before we can complete numbers for FY25....