House Speaker Frank Chopp sat down with reporters this morning with much of the conversation devoted to budget-related matters. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown plans to meet with reporters this afternoon.
Chopp previewed tomorrow’s House and Senate sessions in which Democrats will be pushing legislation to make small trims in government spending. He said he is looking forward to bipartisan support in the House to pass a bill to slice $47 million in spending out of the current budget.
The Senate will be considering a furloughs bill for state workers. He likes it, noting House employees began taking unpaid time off in the months preceding the 2010 session.
“This is extending that same philosophy to the rest of state government,” he said.
On taxes, it’s seems pretty clear he’s not pushing for a hike in sales, property or B&O taxes but thinks there are enough loopholes to close, exemptions to get rid of and individual ones (can you say bottled water?) to get added to cover whatever the Dems want to keep funding.
As far as a future infusion federal dollars, he said he’s expecting there will be some but declined to say what amount is getting used for budget writing purposes.
And on workers compensation he confirmed HB 2950 sponsored by Rep. Jeff Morris and supported by the Boeing Co., most business groups and even Republicans is dead as currently written.
“That particular bill is not moving forward,” he said, adding some of its components might be pushed as separate bills.
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