Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, has introduced House Bill 2062 which would direct the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council to submit its first projections on tax collections earlier.

Currently, during long sessions like this year, March 20 is the deadline for the first projections. MacEwen’s bill would move the date to February 20. Lawmakers rely on that forecast to develop budget plans because it gauges how much money the state will have available to spend.

“We should be doing everything we can to help us complete our work on time. Every day of the special session costs roughly $18,000 and that is an unnecessary expense,” MacEwen said. “In these difficult economic times we must act instead of wait. It’s the old adage ‘time is money’, and now it’s the taxpayer’s money. With the forecast released sooner, budget writers will have more time to craft a strong bipartisan budget without another costly special session.”

This year the Legislature was unable to finish its work on time. The regular session ended April 28 and the special session will begin May 13. The special session can last as long as 30 days.