State representatives discuss legislative priorities

Both legislators pointed to about $200 million in state revenue that was not spent last year as possible funding sources for their priorities. That money, Donnelly pointed out, was in addition to the state’s required reserve, which equals 3 percent of annual revenue.

Lampe’s major priority is education – particularly, funding for elementary, secondary and higher education.

Higher education funding was up by about $100 million in the recently passed state budget. But, as Lampe pointed out at the meeting, that brings state funding back only to the 2002 level.

She also said elementary and secondary education funding, while up by nearly $200 million from last year, is still not adequate. The main reason: The state’s new funding formula for public schools is being phased in over seven years.

“The old formula was never fully funded,” Lampe told the group. “So, as we continue to depend partially on the old formula, we’re not getting enough funding.”

Donnelly’s main focus, meanwhile, is health care. About a third of the state’s approximately $8 billion in general revenue goes to fund social services – mostly health care, she said – while another third goes to education.

While the state budgeted an additional $150 million for Medicaid this year, Donnelly advocated spending part of the $200 million in unspent funds to restore cuts made to the Medicaid program in 2005.

“We now cover about 800,000 people on Medicaid. That’s down by about 170,000 from two years ago,” she said. “It’s not really a cut that in the long run saves us money.”

Donnelly said that businesses end up paying for health costs of the uninsured, because additional people using emergency rooms for treatment lead to higher insurance premiums.