Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Fnday November 28 2003 — A7 YCdf®© By The Associated Press Stale government finances ' are improving a new survey says with fewer budget shortfalls more control over spending and a boost in enue growth for the first time &-in years v Still the upswing found by analional survey f 1 Sm nim- stoft© yesQirs experts found a great deal of concern over the next budget which most legislatures will: begin considering in January! The survey didn't try to quantify next year’s ' potential bud- ' get problems For an example of the diffi- - if“' cullies however consider Vir- ' && ’W "ginia r IkoiiOjgsft g£D®®m loffSomM? Pemncralic Gov Mark Warner warned Tuesday that his state faces a $ 1 2 billion : shortfall in its next two-ye" said He lawmakers budget must reform the stale’s tax : ar : Without reforms that will bring in more money the state will face annual budget short- - k- ’ ? falls for the rest of the decade he said Medicaid was again a lop' ' worry in Virginia as it is in many states Kentucky this week estimated that its aid budget alone would be dvc’rbudget by $530' million next year and up to $XXS mil- lion in 2005 Medic-structU- re ' ' ' " ' ”1 think there’s going to have to be some serious debate about what kind of Medicaid program Kentucky wants iind what kind of program Kentucky can 'afford'’" said stale Health Services Secretary Marcia Morgan The national survey said that of the 22 stales already s?seen since World sK-ndin- g Other high-coprograms' straining budgets include prisons and mental health pro- st grams aiming others On the Net: National Conterence of State Legislatures: http:wwwncslorg f AirAt Ini ©PEN t E AIRUJifiir© years ot money ems- - lhe wwrst overruns seeing more than half blamed Medic-aj- d according to the SfThe national bipartisan Vpqi'p ' group’s latest survey found:fft§S‘ p" Ten states reported budgetjj&ffi Shortfalls so farthis year'1?fe worth a combined total of I $28 billion’ A year ago at thisf giffltime 31 vs r hjv 5 " Sftfc & “life? IP states reported “It’s too early to break out the sun- glasses but the fiscal storm we’ve endured may be breaking up" : i- - Marty Stephens a- WmM cs ttaing Sl75bi Most states begin their fiscal- Thirty-fou- stateswere r "dS&r : genue estimates forthefirst "m® quarter of the fiscal year ‘ W4 July August and SeptembertjT ‘ Revenues in 16 States failed toj£ Preach targetsM-- ' v w&gmk I More than half the states fe'said that they were on target on the spending side of the ’’ budget though 22 were jf spending more than they had budgeted Still that’s better' I than last year': when 29 states! were over budgetgp sThe fi ndi ngs dovetail ' thdseof a analysis conducted by The Associated PresSand released lastwe iTheP found it brighter financial picture in abduttwo-Nhird- s of the states but r ' spread caution among f government officials fit’s too earlytobreak'i the sunglasses but the fiscal f storm we’ve eiiduredmayf breaking up’ said Utah j House Speaker Marty tStepbens NCSL president There"is now reason for fl optimism ’said the executive director Bill j 50-sta- te 1 confer-enice- ’s A separate- eportfouni that state revenue from July Jp ! fIhoS®s etockl 3Barse Boxed Jewelry Sterling and sterlingstqne jewelry Boxed Marcasite Jewelry setsM ofgjp growth after two years dedines according to the 5 srKf’g -- Tax increases accounted for much of the growth! accord- ing to Nick Jenny the report jy author Accounting for legisla Tivc changes and inflation states overall saw only 06 percent growth: Suites in the past two years approved $20 billion in new YOUR CHOK or higher taxes While the renrts were ' enepuraging the authors took pains to want that the positive steps seen so fair could easily turn for the worse if the econ- omy does not keep improving And they also said that ' e many like selling maneuvers bonds from tobacco settle- ment money or raiding reserve funds — - can't be repeated so that next year's state budgets could bring a return of spending cuts and tax increases “Yes the news is better But the question is is it good?” said Corina Ecld NCSL's senior fiscal analyst “Is the lack of more bad news good news? A lot of people think it ’ ' " one-tim- - " Barse Angel PiiiPendant Accented with genuine ! Swarovski crystals ap PA J Boxed Jewelry Sets are sterling silver or 18K gold over sterling silver Vw Barse Rings Assortment of sterling and genuine stone rings " : ""Zip: : -- is" She said that her team’s interviews with state budget Some jtema may be enlarged to atxMr detail fl Does Your Heart Good Amaricon Heart AMOtiolion0 In LoenJl Cache VaSey MeN In We and Sunday 11 Sal aN SteopFridey Lake Cdy m FaeMen Pleoe and toidh Towne Cantor tn Ofdan m Newgale MeN In Provo at Provo Towne Cantre In SL Caorge at Red CtWe your Ddanfa Credit Card The Ampfcan Express Card Omari Club International Maeiarcard? Va and The Discover Card C |