State Lawmakers Hold Budget Meetings After 2 Days Of Cancellations

The House and Senate met in so called “JCAB’s” or Joint Conference on Appropriations and Budget meetings Thursday evening after canceling them for two days.

Lawmakers did not take up a tax on gasoline and diesel, a tax on the production of oil and gas, and a tax on tobacco.

Sources said one sticking point is, a faction of lawmakers want to divie up money from a tobacco tax to be used for managed care at a cost to taxpayers of 52.3 million-dollars.

Also, the Senate adjourned, missing the deadline to hear a bill to offer teachers a $6,000 raise over three years. The House offered the bill without a plan to pay for it