“We have been waiting on the Republican supermajority to show leadership regarding the proposed budget cuts to the General Fund and Medicaid, but we cannot wait any longer,” said Sen. Bedford. “This is the 11th hour, and we, therefore, are taking the lead to save the General Fund and provide our schools with much needed money to 1,900 teachers and support personnel positions.”
Importantly, the proposed budgetary plan does not require a raid on the Education Trust Fund and protects the corpus of the Alabama Trust Fund.
“If we do not act now, people are going to die,” said Rep. Ford. “We, the Democratic leaders, have introduced a plan that saves Medicaid, saves the General Fund, saves jobs in public education, without raising a single tax or fee on the people of Alabama.”
This legislation modifies the Canfield Rolling Reserve Act to go into effect when state revenues reach the level that they were in Fiscal Year 2008. Furthermore, the plan gives the voters of this state the ability to decide whether future deposits into the Alabama Trust Fund could go to pay for vital services into the future.
“As a former budget chairman, the solution to this budgetary crisis requires bi-partisan support,” continued Sen. Bedford. “We sincerely hope that the Republican supermajority will support this plan because the people of Alabama cannot endure the drastic, and potentially deadly, cuts to Medicaid and the General Fund.”
“The failure of the Republican supermajority’s ability to lead has created this crisis,” continued Ford. “Once again, Democrats have offered a solution to the problem, just like we have so many times before.”
