Legislative Council and Joint Budget Committee began hearings Tuesday morning on budget request for state agencies for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Members spent the first half of the day reviewing the rules and procedures.

Since 220 state board, commission, and agency budgets must be reviewed, legislators have routinely started the process months before they convene for session.

Committee hearings will begin at 9am and will be held in Committee Room A in the MAC Building. The Committee will meet Tuesday through Thursday concluding at 4:30 pm, except for Thursdays when they will conclude at noon. Mondays and Fridays will be reserved for subcommittee meetings.

The first budgets looked at are for “cash fund agencies” meaning they generate their own money through fees or fines. An example would be a state board which regulates a specific industry. Then the committee will review agency budgets that are funded mostly from general revenue. That will include education and prisons. Each agency director will appear and present his or her budget request before the entire committee. Special Budget Subcommittees will be appointed, as needed, to consider selected budgetary matters more in depth.

For a complete list of budget summaries and 10 year expenditure history go to: http://bit.ly/WN2KON