by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
Closing out the first month of the regular session, legislative leaders have no clarity on Gov. Sarah Sanders administration’s price tag for education, public safety or healthcare, much less a blueprint for the state’s anticipated $6 billion balanced budget.
Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, chairman of the Joint Budget Committee, said he’s waiting to see first drafts of new school policy and prison and sentencing reform legislation.
“I haven’t seen the education plan, so I don’t have any ballpark figures on what that’s going to cost, what we’re going to do. We do know that there is a portion that’s going to be for increasing teacher pay. Again, that’s going to have a direct impact. But again, I have no idea, if I’m just being transparent, on what that’s going to look like, and that’s why you see me being hesitant in regards to the budget,” he said.
