“We have taken a great step in bringing additional sunshine to the budget process,” remarked Lt. Governor Bryant. “Our goal is to make the process more open and transparent and SCR 522 is just one more example of government being held accountable.”

Currently conference reports on appropriations and revenue bills are filed Wednesday, March 25th and face a deadline of Friday, March 27 for final adoption. Pushing the adoption deadline to Monday, March 30, 2009 provides ample opportunity for review by legislators, press, state agencies, and private citizens.

Principal author and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Alan Nunnelee stated, "We have already taken giant steps in making government more transparent and thus more accountable to the men and women who pay for it. This measure will be one more step in opening up our budget process so that everyone, both legislators and citizens, can know the contents of our appropriations bills before we vote on them."

SCR 522 now heads to the Mississippi House of Representatives for consideration.