Video: Mississippi Revenue Estimate Increased

[syndicaster id=’5679491′]

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi lawmakers will have slightly more money to disperse among government programs as they put the final touches on a state budget in the next few days.

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee met Wednesday and increased the estimates of how much money the state can spend during fiscal 2015, which ends June 30, and during fiscal 2016, which begins July 1.

Committee members added nearly $102 million to the estimate for the current year and $30 million for the coming year.

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.

House and Senate negotiators face a Saturday deadline to agree on budget proposals.