The Legislature’s Intervention with Budget Reform

Abstract

Chapter 5 discusses the legislature’s response to the budget problems that occurred at the end of the Mabus administration. The legislature grew frustrated with the unrealistic revenue forecasting used to construct the state’s budget and responded by passing the Budget Reform Act of 1992 in order to strengthen the budget process. The reform act created a proper reserve fund known as the Working Cash-Stabilization Reserve Fund (Rainy Day Fund). The act also created a revenue 2 percent set-aside requirement as a cushion.