House Budget Writers Roll Out Draft Reports

State lawmakers have begun to roll out their preliminary recommendations for this year's budget.

Jessica Jones: The House's total budget isn't available yet, but lawmakers shuttled major parts of it through committees earlier today. So far, education isn't receiving the hit schools expected. The draft budget would replace about 259 million dollars' worth of federal funding that's about to run out. That means superi[ntendents wouldn't have to return about 74 million dollars to Raleigh this year. The budget would also restore money to the Teaching Fellows Fund to pay for scholarships for the 2012-2013 class. It's not clear yet where all the money will come from. In the preliminary health and human services budget, the House provides 163 million dollars toward filling a shortfall in the state's Medicaid budget. It also eliminates 50 vacant positions in the Department of Health and Human Services. The budget will go before the House appropriations committee next week.