MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has signed two state budgets into law.
Bentley said Thursday he didn't like everything the Legislature put into the education and General Fund budgets, but there were more positives than negatives.
Bentley said he waited to sign the budgets until the Legislature passed a bill that moved part of state use tax money from education purposes to the General Fund budget.
The governor said the use tax bill was needed to provide the income to make the budget work.
Bentley said Thursday he didn't like everything the Legislature put into the education and General Fund budgets, but there were more positives than negatives.
The General Fund budget also depends on voters in September approving a transfer of funds from a natural gas revenue savings account and from the education budget. Bentley plans to travel the state to promote the referendum. He predicted voters will approve it if he explains it as a way to finance the General Fund budget without raising taxes.
"It's my job to explain that to them," Bentley said of his plans to sell the amendment to voters. "I'm going to try to tell the people that this is a good thing."
The governor said he needs to explain to voters that the plan take money out of savings to avoid raising taxes.
Asked if he had another plan in case voters say "no" to the amendment.
Bentley said his "plan B "is to cut the state General Fund budget by 17 percent across the board.