House Finance subcommittee rejects amendment to restore deputy commissioner funding, moves DNR recommendations out of committee 8–1

At the Feb. 27 House Finance Department of Natural Resources subcommittee meeting, members reviewed the BA closeout documents and debated a conceptual amendment to restore funding for a deputy commissioner position before voting to move the subcommittee’s FY27 DNR recommendations out of committee.

Caroline Hemp, staff to the chair, walked the committee through the BA sheets and enumerated items. Item 1 in the BA report deletes funding for a deputy commissioner position the department recently vacated; Hemp described items 2, 3, 8, 9 and 17 as related to an information‑technology classification study and summarized other department requests and governor amendments.

Rep. Chris Sadler offered a conceptual amendment to delete item 1 from the VA/BA sheet, saying he did not intend to eliminate the deputy commissioner role and expressing concern that removing funding would overload the remaining deputy commissioner. "I fear that the one existing deputy commissioner is gonna be overworked, overloaded, and unable to perform at the high level that we've come to expect and appreciate," Sadler said.

Rep. Fields and other members opposed the amendment, saying the state faces significant fiscal constraints and earlier revenue proposals have been vetoed. "We face significant financial constraints ... if we're not gonna have new revenue, we will have to dig further and make very, very painful cuts into every agency," Fields said, while acknowledging DNR’s value.

During discussion Representative Clum asked whether the roughly $311,000 associated with the position was only salary; the chair responded that the figure is "salary plus benefits" — an all‑in cost for the position.

Clerk roll call on the conceptual amendment recorded eight nays and one yea; the amendment failed. The committee then considered a motion by the chair to move the FY27 subcommittee recommendations for the Department of Natural Resources operating budget out of the subcommittee. The roll‑call vote on that motion was 8 yeas, 1 nay, and the motion carried. Nonpartisan Legislative Finance Division was directed to make any necessary conforming or technical changes.

The subcommittee adjourned at 12:46 p.m.