The Senate passed a bill Wednesday that adjusts the current fiscal year budget. The vote was 25 to 4.
The Senate Appropriations Committee made few changes to the adjustment bill that passed the House last month.
The Senate version funds a needle exchange program at $75,000 — the full amount the administration had requested. That’s an increase for the program over the $35,000 the House approved.
To pay for the increase, the Senate docked the House’s $225,000 general fund contribution to the so-called Medicaid 53rd week by $40,000. Lawmakers will need to come up with the rest of the $10.3 million for the 53rd week in the fiscal 2017 budget.
All four votes against the bill on the floor Wednesday were from Republicans.
Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, was among them. Afterward, Benning said he has never voted for a budget bill of any sort in his time in the Senate.
“That is my only way of protesting a continuous process wherein we are not able to sustain what we provide for services,” Benning said.
He raised questions about using one-time funds to balance the budget.
“Passing a balanced budget can be done any year if you can find coins under couch cushions,” Benning said.
The bill now goes back to the House.