Alabama state capitol tileMONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama House of Representatives on Monday killed a budget that would have cut millions of dollars from Medicaid, mental health services and other state agencies.
House members voted 92-2 Monday night against a Senate-passed spending plan that included such cuts. The move means a special session will conclude Tuesday without a budget and sends lawmakers back to the drawing board as they anticipate another special session to try to hammer out an agreement.
“We don’t want to send a bad budget over to the governor, that we are committed to making sure we fund state government at a level where it can operate. I think that’s the message that was sent very clear. We want to fund law enforcement. We want to fund Medicaid at a level that it can operate,” House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, said.
Lawmakers have been at an impasse for months over where to enact tax increases or make budget cuts.
Gov Robert Bentley had called lawmakers into special session and asked legislators to approve $302 million in tax increases to avoid reductions in state services in the fiscal year that begins Oct 1. However, the Republican governor has thus far been unable to muster the votes in the GOP-controlled Alabama Legislature