The Mississippi Legislature’s budgeting process for the upcomingyear – no simple task in the recent past – has been derailed beforeit even started.

Lawmakers usually begin budget hearings in September, givingthemselves time to sort through the volume of requests by stateagencies and start to digest the cost. Because of HurricaneKatrina, however, Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck initially postponed this year’shearings until October then ultimately canceled them altogether dueto a lengthy special session during which the House and Senategrappled with storm recovery.

Given recent events – both legislative and otherwise – it isunfortunate that lawmakers won’t have a jump start on budgetmatters this year. In recent years, it has been late in the session- too late, in fact – before they have turned serious attention tosolving very real budget crises facing the state. Thatfoot-dragging coupled with the fallout from Katrina is a potentialrecipe for disaster.

No doubt, the 2006 session will be a busy one. Without theirusual head start, lawmakers simply must hit the ground running inJanuary, keeping an eye on crafting the state budget from dayone.