Ever since the joint budget targets were released last month for the state’s budget, both the Senate and House subcommittees have been trying to figure their budgets for the next two fiscal years.

District 24 State Senator Jerry Behn says all the budget bills have been in conference committees, which are made up of equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, to achieve a bipartisan agreement on each piece of the budgetary pie.

Behn points out that there haven’t been heated debates about the budget as the legislative session wands down for the year.

However, due to a 7.5% increase in the overall budget, Behn says he isn’t inclined to support any of the budget bills.

“Bottom line is I’m looking at sustainability.  And we know that state revenue growth averages a little over 3% on a historic basis.  And if you get up and over that 3.5-4%, you’re heading for a problem.  Overall, I think we still a little high on the budget.”

Behn comments that he’s not on any budget conference committees this session, but in past sessions when he has been on them, he notes that each person has to go through their part of the budget, line item by line item until an overall agreement can be met.

He is confident that this session will be finished before the end of last year’s session ended.