Manchin May Send Legislature Home Without Budget

Gov. Joe Manchin tells The Associated Press that the Legislature "could go home this month without passing a budget for next year."

(Updated) "The regular, 60-day session ends at midnight on April 11. The governor routinely keeps the Legislature in town for another week or so to pass a final budget bill as well as funding measures for the current year.," AP reports. "But Manchin said he may instead call the House and Senate back to the Capitol later, likely in early May. The next budget year starts July 1. "

The article explains that "Talk of delaying action on the budget follows the governor’s announcement that revenues expected for next year will fall short of what he had forecast when the session began in February. He issued his revised revenue estimate March 19."

AP reports that Manchin is still not predicting a revenue gap this fiscal year, and that "the administration has no plans to reduce next year’s revenue forecast further, regardless of what April brings." But it has also "recently extended recommended limits on state agency hiring in an effort to contain costs," the article notes.

MetroNews and Public Broadcasting also have item on that hiring move. The latter has audio and a copy of the governor's memo.