Budget Challenges Are Legislatures' Top Priority

It is decision time for lawmakers in the 44 state legislatures that are currently in session. State legislators will need to balance declining revenues with growing demands, and most will do so while addressing huge budget deficits.

“Every issue state lawmakers debate this year will be influenced by the budget,” said William T. Pound, executive director of the National Council of State Legislatures.

Accordingly, the legislative group ranks “budgets” as the most significant issue state legislatures will address. Two-thirds of the states report revenue collections below forecasted levels in the early months of the fiscal year and nearly every state has a balanced budget requirement.

In response, state and local builders associations are focusing on priorities not affected by budget shortfalls. For example:

• The Colorado Association of Home Builders is aggressively advocating “notice and right to repair” legislation, as well as a bill to prohibit inclusionary zoning on for-sale property.
• In Connecticut, home builders are fighting mandatory fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes. Bill Ethier, executive vice president and CEO of the Home Builders Association of Connecticut, Inc., says  that his association is opposing increases in the state level real estate conveyance tax and cuts to state-sponsored vo-tech spending. Both have been proposed to deal with the state's budget challenges.
• The Builders Association of the Twin Cities' top priority is closing a loophole between Minnesota's Home Warranty Law and the statute of limitations law. The loophole places no time limit on plaintiff claims against contractors, as long as the claim is brought within two years of discovery.  

State legislatures in all 50 states will convene 2003. 

The top 10 issues for states, according to the National Council of State Legislatures are as follows.

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