Today the Senate Ways and Means (W&M) Committee released its plan to chip away some more at the remaining 2009-11 budget shortfall.  Like the supplemental passed by the House, this proposal would not close the entire shortfall.  Also like the House-passed version, Senate W&M would make transfers from numerous accounts into the general fund.  In all, the Senate W&M plan would reduce NGFS spending by $254 million and transfer $140 million.  (The House bill would reduce NGFS spending by $222 million and transfer $142 million.)  The W&M plan transfers funds from the same accounts as the House, except it does not touch the Fair Fund or Certified Public Accountants account.

Some highlights from the W&M proposal:

• Adult enrollees in the Basic Health Plan would have to provide valid social security numbers by March 1, 2011 or be cut from the program.  Also, a transfer would be made from the Life Sciences Fund to help pay for remaining enrollees.
• Disability Lifeline cash grants would be eliminated.
• Children’s Health Program enrollment would be frozen as of March 1, 2011.
• The K-4 class size reduction would be cut by 50 percent (not as much as in the House-passed bill).
• The Higher Education Coordinating Board would be eliminated.

Below is a preliminary chart comparing the reductions in this proposal to those in the House bill and in the Governor’s proposal.  Note that these are policy changes only (not including maintenance level revisions), and do not include the June to July payment shift to public schools that the Governor proposed.  (Note also that my estimate of policy changes in the Governor’s proposal does not exactly match that in the Senate W&M summary linked above.)