Legislators to get grim budget forecast

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Legislators arriving in Montgomery for the start of the 2012 legislative session will get hit with bad news.

The interim director of the Legislative Fiscal Office, Norris Greene, and the state finance director, Marquita Davis, will give their revenue forecasts to legislators Tuesday morning. Budget chairmen say they expect grim numbers.

Legislators say they expect to have about $400 million less to appropriate in next year's General Fund budget for non-education agencies. That could force them to cut some agencies 25 percent below this year's levels. Legislators say they also expect a small decrease in the education budget. The budget forecasts are the first step in lawmakers writing the appropriations bills for fiscal 2013.