House Stuck on General Fund

The House is debating whether to non-concur on the governor's executive amendments to the general fund.

State Rep. Barry Mask, R-Wetumpka, made an impassioned speech about the state's need to not short change the Department of Corrections. He described the state prison system as a powder keg.

Mask said the state is headed into a situation where the federal government will dictate to the state what it must invest in prisons.

"Corrections is always in proration," he said. "It's been the stepchild of state government for years."

He said there are members in the House who have prisons in their district who talk the talk, but don't walk the walk when it comes to funding corrections. He said they especially didn't do that during this budgeting process where funds for district projects received funding after funds for corrections were cut.

"Everybody knows what's the dealio," he said.

He also accused legislators who want to accept a budget that cuts funding from corrections of just wanting the "gravy" in the budget.

"Everybody in the club gettin' chips," he said.

-- posted by Markeshia Ricks