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As in all years, the centerpiece of the legislative agenda will be the budget, which in oddyear short sessions is relatively small. It only involves a midcourse correction in the massive $16 billion spending document approved by last year’s session for the 1984-1986 biennium.
The exact amount of the oddyear surplus, as the extra funds are somewhat inaccurately called, is always hard to pin down. This year, for example, the new money which the lawmakers will have available has been variously reported as between $123 and $160 million. Sources close to the administration say the actual amount may be as high as $175 or $180 million.
Whatever its size, the way the budget pie is sliced will provide some of the most spectacular political and legislative fireworks of the session.
Because it pervades just about every other legislative consideration, the budget bill will be the top bill to watch.
Tied closely to the budget — and to both local and statewide political concerns — will be the legislative effort to do something about the state’s on-going corrections problems. The recent flap between Corrections Director Allyn Sielaff and the State Board of Corrections pointed up with
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