JBC trims Tony Grama youth services funding, eliminates one‑year grants

JBC staff presented a package of reductions for the Tony Grama youth services program, which awards grants intended to prevent youth crime, substance misuse, truancy, and child abuse and neglect. The department asked to eliminate 1‑year grants and proposed a $200,000 total‑fund reduction and a $400,000 general‑fund decrease partially offset by a requested $200,000 from the marijuana tax cash fund.

Emily Pope recommended a deeper staff alternative: eliminate 1‑year grants and reduce the 3‑year grant pool by $200,000 to balance the budget while relying on remaining tobacco‑settlement and youth services fund balances this year. Pope noted the program is primarily funded by tobacco master settlement monies (historical) and that 1‑year grants served ~350 youth compared with 50,000 impacted by 3‑year grants.

Representative Brown objected to the depth of the reduction and preferred a smaller cut or securing more marijuana tax cash fund support; Representative Taggart urged priority consideration for restoring the $200,000 if marijuana fund rebalancing allows it. The motion to adopt staff recommendation (recorded as staff rec or 12 in the transcript) passed 4–1 with Brown recorded as objecting and Kirk Meyer excused.

The committee directed staff and members to monitor the marijuana tax cash fund rebalancing later in the process and flagged Tony Grama as a priority candidate for reinstatement if cash is available. No statutory change was adopted; the committee elected to incorporate the reductions and to preserve an option to return funds if subsequent cash‑fund decisions allow.