‘Air’s gone out of our balloon’
House Appropriations Chairwoman Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, just commented, "It seems like all the air's gone out of our balloon." The panel, which wrapped up its agency budget hearings this morning and began hearing from chairs of germane committees on their budget recommendations, normally would move next right into budget-setting, but this year, everything's uncertain because of the federal stimulus funds. Bell earlier announced that the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee would take tomorrow off, then corrected herself and said Friday would be the day off for the panel. A new schedule for budget-setting is expected out tomorrow.