The House chairman of the Joint Budget Committee pleaded today with House members to stop filing appropriation bills.

“I’m pleading with you to limit the filing of those bills, because I do not think it serves any purpose,” said Rep. Bruce Maloch, D-Magnolia.

Maloch said umbrella appropriation bills will be filed to cover the agencies and organizations that members want to help, and all House members will be invited to sign on as co-sponsors.

“We’ll have all the colleges and universities there, we have mechanisms for fire departments, boys and girls clubs and all of these type things,” he said.

The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that legislators cannot direct appropriations to specific local projects.

“These individual bills that are being filed are not going to be funded,” Maloch said.

Tags: Bruce Maloch

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