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<br />Republican Caucus Chair ~ Bill Cadman <br /> <br />Senate <br />President. Joan Fitz-Gerald <br />President ProTein - Peter GrofT <br /> <br />1\linority Leader ~ ~1ark Hillman <br />Asst Minority Leader - Stc\e Johnson <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />'\Iajority Leader - Ken Gordon <br />Asst 1\lajority Leader - Jim Isgar <br /> <br />Republican Caucus Chair ~ Norma Anderson <br /> <br />JRC <br />Senators Abel Tapia, Moe Keller, and Da\"e Owen <br />Representatives Tom Plant, John Witwer and one open democrat scat to be decided. <br /> <br />Owens Sends S5.7 Billion Budget to Legislature: Gov. Bill Owens' submitted his budget request 10 <br />the Joint Rudget Committee on ~OV. l. The budget includes a 3.5 percent increase in general fund <br />spending. Owens is asking IDr a total of55.7 billion in general fund money to fund the 17 executive <br />depanments. That is an increase ofS5.5 billion OH'r this fiscal year. <br /> <br />Two~thirds of the requested money, or 53.9 billion. would fund 1\ledicaid and primary and secondary <br />education. The Department of Ilcalth Care Policy and Financing saw one of the biggest request <br />increases ~ 9.5 percent, for about S 1.3 billion. The request is driven primarily by Medicaid cascload <br />Increases. <br /> <br />Henry Sobanet, Owens' budget director, said constitutional or federal mandates or things that are . <br />essential to public safety drive the budget. <br /> <br />Drought Update: <br /> <br />Precipitation Levels <br /> <br />Summer predictions for abovc-average <br />precipitation to occur during the early weeks of <br />fall have materialized in many parts of the state. <br />As ofNm.. 3, all basins, except the Arkansas <br />Basin, were tracking abovc nomlal precipitation <br />levels for the current year. Howcver, since <br />ovcr.J1I snow pack levels arc typically low lhis <br />time of year a single weather evelll can cause <br />sizable Iluctuations in precipitation percentages. <br /> <br />EI Xiiio <br /> <br />U.S. Drought Monitor <br />P1 [/-" <br />-~".\ <br />~ <br />. - J. <br />~ <br /> <br />Oelober2'6.20o.. <br />-......... <br /> <br />.0 <br /> <br /> <br />'" <br /> <br />":p <br />t'> <br /> <br />~ <br />'-~ <br />0'__ <br />--- <br />.""-....... <br />. ""--'''- <br /> <br />-~-'- <br />.....c.-__ <br />....--- <br />- <br />M._,_ <br />...-.-- <br /> <br />~~ .,.2. <br /> <br />~ 'Q <br />~ <br /> <br />CJ <br /> <br />----..--- <br />l~___ ____ <br />--- <br /> <br />_....r__o._a,_ <br />__~tl'C~_.._ <br /> <br />......-.....-- <br /> <br />Recent wanning in the central equatorial Paci lie has allowed tDr the return of El Nino. <br /> <br />Despite its weak appearance, several key "telccon1ll..'Ction" features (a drier-than~nom'al summer <br />monsoon ovcr India. a wclter-than-nomlal early fall from Ari.lOna into etah and Colorado) have <br />materialiled. This supports the notion that this EI Nino event may continue wilh long-distance rainfall <br />patterns nom13l1y associated \\ ith its stronger cousins. This forecast will be updated during the third <br />week of ;\"ovember. <br /> <br />liB 1J65 Guidelines: We arc awaiting the approval ora contract to hirc a contractor to assist in the . <br />creation oflhe liB Q-l-lJ65 guidelincs. The guidelines arc statutorily required in response to new <br />water conser\ation and drought-planning requirements put in place from HB I ;65. In addition to the <br /> <br />6 <br />