Statement from Representative Ross Hunter, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, regarding the 2011-13 budget agreement announced today:
“This budget was probably the hardest to write in decades. The slow speed of the economic recovery is still having a significant impact on our state’s revenues and we didn’t have the prospect of any help from the federal government this year.
“This isn’t the budget any of us would have written, given the choice. But our job is to make the most responsible decisions we can in these tough times. I think we do that in this budget. It is thoughtful and sustainable.
“We worked hard to protect our basic priorities. Educating children is the paramount duty of the state and we do the best job we can. We maintain health care for children and the disabled, and we mitigate some of the cuts in higher education.
“I appreciate the hard work representatives from all four corners put into this process. Nobody takes these decisions lightly.”