Statement by Rep. Mark Hargrove on House passage of state budget bill
The House of Representatives today passed the state operating budget contained in House Bill 1087, which proposes to spend a record $32.4 billion, or $2 billion more than the current budget. Rep. Mark Hargrove, R-Covington, voted against the bill and issued the following statement:
“There were items in the budget I could support, but the cuts to education, despite the increased spending, was something I could not support. The state constitution tells us education is the 'paramount duty' of the state. Yet, this budget was written in a way that takes the additional revenue we are expecting and applies it to everything other than education. We cannot continue to erode our education system in a way that hurts the ability of students to get an education that will allow them to be successful in life.
“Writing a budget is about priorities. House Republicans offered an alternative, which wasn't perfect either, but it prioritized education. Unfortunately, it was rejected. I believe the budget passed today was directed toward spending more, not spending more wisely. I hope that as this budget moves to the Senate, some changes can be made to reflect the priorities in our communities, particularly education funding.”
