Alabama General Fund Budget

  Alabama's $1.8 billion General Fund budget for the next fiscal year has become law with only small changes from the governor.

Gov. Robert Bentley sent a line item veto the House of Representatives late Thursday making some alterations to the budget. Those changes became law when representatives adjourned for the night without taking action.

House budget committee chairman Rep. Steve Clouse of Ozark says the governor's changes to the operating budget were minor.

State employees may end up with a one-time pay bonus of $400 in the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

Senate budget committee Chairman Arthur Orr of Decatur announced he will propose the bonus when the Senate considers the state General Fund budget.

The Senate Finance and Taxation-General Fund Committee approved a General Fund budget for non-education agencies Wednesday that would spend $1.84 billion. That's $15 million more than the budget approved by the House.

Gov. Robert Bentley is proposing state budgets that would require most state agencies to get by next year with about the same amount they are receiving this year.

Bentley's proposals include increases for all levels of public education.

Bentley's office released his recommended budgets Tuesday, which is the second day of the Legislature's 2014 session.

Bentley's state General Fund budget for the next fiscal year would spend $1.8 billion. The biggest increase is $70 million is for Medicaid. Courts would get a small increase.

Gov. Robert Bentley has signed the state General Fund budget and state education budget into law.

Gov. Robert Bentley says his first impression of the state education and state general fund budgets is that they are basically fine.

   Bentley said Wednesday it appears legislators put some pork projects into the budgets and he's still reviewing a few items. But he sad he hasn't seen any major problems yet.

The Alabama Legislature has approved a compromise General Fund budget that increases funding for courts and prisons.

The Alabama Legislature enters the final three days of the 2013 legislative session with the main priority being passage of the education and General Fund budgets.

Passage of the two budgets are the only tasks lawmakers are constitutionally required to complete before the end of the regular session, expected to be May 20.

The Alabama Legislature begins the second half of its 2013 session on Tuesday.

Gov. Robert Bentley says his priority for the second half is passing balanced budgets. The former House representative says that's the Legislature's only constitutional duty. A House committee is scheduled to begin work on the education budget Tuesday. The Senate has already approved the General Fund budget and sent it to a House committee.

The Alabama Legislature has wrapped up the first half of its 2013 session and gone on spring break.

Wednesday marked the 15th meeting day of the session. Lawmakers left the capital city Wednesday evening and will return April 2 for their final 15 meeting days.

The issues remaining for the second half of the session include the state education budget and the General Fund budget.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

The Alabama Senate worked into the night to pass the budget to operate the state's non-education agencies. The Senate voted 22-9 Tuesday night to approve the General Fund budget and send it to the House for further consideration.

Budget committee Chairman Arthur Orr said the $1.7 billion budget follows most of the recommendations that Gov. Robert Bentley made when the legislative session began five weeks ago.