House passes budget for Legislature
by MARSHA SHULER - Advocate (excerpt)

The House endorsed a proposed $89 million budget for the operations of the Legislature and its agencies Thursday after a lawmaker dropped an effort to cut it by $200,000.

State Rep. Bodi White, R-Central, tried to reduce allotments to state representatives and was met with a firestorm of opposition. One legislator accused White of “grandstanding” and another later thanked him for not forcing a vote on what could be a touchy issue in fall elections.

House Speaker Jim Tucker promised that he and Senate President Joel Chaisson II would be looking for places to cut as the legislative spending plan moves through the approval process.