Video: Governor Signs Education Funding Bill

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has signed a $2.5 billion budget for public schools, setting one of the biggest pieces of the state spending plan for the coming year.

He signed the K-12 funding bill Wednesday, the same day the Joint Legislative Budget Committee met and increased the estimates of how much money the state can spend on a variety of programs.

Committee members added nearly $102 million to the estimate for fiscal 2015, which ends June 30, and $30 million for fiscal 2016, which begins July 1.

The state-funded portion of the budget will be more than $6 billion for this year and next.

The higher revenue estimates are based on experts’ consensus that the state economy is improving.

Budget negotiators face a Saturday deadline to agree on spending proposals.