The question overshadowing the budget debate is: How big will it get?
Many lawmakers and Gov. Sean Parnell have made clear their desire to hold down all spending. On the capital side, Parnell has sought to limit spending to $400 million, excluding projects like a crime lab, moving through the process as separate legislation.
But members of the Senate's bipartisan majority said lawmakers held back on capital requests last year due to budget concerns and would like to see a healthy budget this year.
Sen. Lyman Hoffman says he'd personally like to see a $500 million capital budget. His finance co-chairman, Sen. Bert Stedman, said he looked forward to continued dialogue with Parnell's administration.
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