The deadline for state lawmakers to reach a budget deal continues inching closer as leaders from the House and Senate haggle over the numbers.
If an agreement isn’t reached by October 1, there will be a state government shutdown, but we wondered what they would look like. State Representative Joey Andrews tells us a short shutdown wouldn’t be too bad.
“If the shutdown is less than, say, two weeks, you probably won’t see much of an impact,” Andrews said. “If it goes longer than that, then things like the Secretary of State branches will close because the workforce will be furloughed. You’ll see issues with Medicaid, housing vouchers, anything that the state is administering will either slow down or temporarily halt. Parks will probably close.”
Andrews says critical programs would last longer.
“Certain things will maintain as long as they can, like police and corrections funding is considered a high-priority, central so funding will continue and in that area at least as long as there’s money available.”
But Andrews says if the shutdown went long enough, even that funding would run out. That’s when major problems would emerge. He says a government shutdown won’t benefit anyone, so he’s a bit baffled that some lawmakers want one.
One thing that Andrews wanted to add was that if there is a state government shutdown, the pay of lawmakers would be suspended.
