NASHVILLE (AP) — Prisons, highway patrols and other essential government services would receive funding through July 5 under legislation filed Wednesday aimed at avoiding a total government shutdown should lawmakers fail to pass a balanced budget by Monday.
“This is a last resort backup plan,” said Deputy Gov. Alex Fischer as the bill received the first of three required readings in each chamber of the General Assembly.
The state constitution requires the legislature to pass a balanced budget by the start of the new fiscal year, which is Monday. Lawmakers were still debating budget plans Wednesday.
“I think it’s fair to say there’s an overwhelming desire and expectation that a revenue plan will be in place before June 30,” Fischer said. “We believe, as do most others, that this action won’t be necessary, but if it does come to that, we’ll have that one week.”
The state constitution specifies that the government cannot spend money unless the legislature appropriates it.
The state must resolve a $480 million deficit in the current budget and find $800 million in new tax revenue to keep services at their current level next year.
“It seems only prudent that we prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” said Rep. Matt Kisber, chairman of the House Finance Committee. “Out of an abundance of caution, we want to be sure members have a range of options should we get to Sunday and still have no resolution of the budget impasse.”
He said Attorney General Paul Summers helped draft the bill to ensure that it is defensible should anyone take the state to court.
“Obviously, anything we have to do to keep essential services and the people of this state safe, we have to proceed with,” said Sen. Lincoln Davis, D-Pall Mall. “I do feel, however, we will come to some resolution and that everybody will start acting responsibly and cut bait or fish.”
If the government shut down all but essential services, an unknown number of state employees would be furloughed. The state would pay the salaries of only those workers considered necessary to keep state government’s most important functions going.
The bill calls for the state to fulfill any existing contracts and to meet court orders and appropriates enough money to ensure child support and unemployment compensation payments.
The bill also ensures enough money to cover the needs of law enforcement, courts, prisons, children in state custody, foster parents, the mentally ill and TennCare recipients.
It also singles out payments for the Tennessee National Guard, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and other agencies if the governor “determines that their services are necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this state or to respond to fires, other natural disasters or terrorist acts.”
It would not fund K-12 education or departments, such as tourism or economic and community development. Higher education could use any institutional revenues —fees it collects for its services — but would get tax money only if the governor deemed the expenditure essential.
