The revenue committee has voted 12-3 in favor of Lake's motion, to adopt the governor's recommendation. Before the vote, Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, proposed a substitute motion of $2,359.2 million for 2011 and $2,521.5 million for 2012, but her motion died for lack of a second. The three "no" votes on Lake's motion came from LeFavour, Rep. Janice McGeachin, and Rep. Grant Burgoyne.

Asked by McGeachin how a revenue-setting action today, followed by a revision later would affect the JFAC process, JFAC Vice-Chair Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said, "We don't start setting budgets until about the middle of February, and at that time we will have January's numbers, and at that time will be able to take corrective action if we should need to."

Burgoyne, D-Boise, questioned why the committee would adopt figures showing stronger growth in fiscal year 2011 than in 2012, saying the economy should be improving, not slowing. "I do think that's a little illogical or inconsistent," he said.

Incidentally, at the start of the meeting, state economist Derek Santos was scheduled to discuss the latest revenue figures and DFM forecasts. But when he started talking about the DFM forecast of 6.9 percent revenue growth for fy 2012, Goedde cut him off, saying the panel only wanted to hear about the governor's recomendation, not the DFM forecast.

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