The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance completed its work last week and added over $2 billion for Education spending.  Part of this increase includes $340 million for one-time mandate reimbursements.  This isn't the first time the Assembly has augmented the Governor's weak offering for mandate reimbursements.

 

In 2005, the Assembly saw fit to increase the amount paid for mandates as well.  The Senate version included additional mandate funds, but that offering was roughly half of the Assembly funding level.  That year saw over $50 million for mandate reimbursements when the Governor's Proposed Budget failed to provide any.

 

Hopefully, this trend will continue.  With the Senate yet to release its Budget for Education we can only hope it sees its way clear to adding additional mandate funding.  While the addition of funding for mandates is no guarantee it will survive the difficult negotiations to come, it does provide some measure of comfort.  The Assembly augmentation provides evidence those in the Capitol understand the severe financial impact mandates can have on education and continued deferral is bad fiscal policy.