Legislators working on a Mississippi spending plan for the coming fiscal year are at an impasse. The main sticking point is $60 million in stimulus money the Senate wants to put in reserve for 2011.

House Appropriations chairman Johnny Stringer said holding back that money would force cuts to numerous state agencies, including the Highway Patrol, education and mental health. Stringer also says he doesn't think the state can legally put the stimulus in reserve.

Senate Appropriations chairman Alan Nunnelee said he's willing to make cuts to have the reserve in 2011, when the state will face larger budget issues.

“It is unfortunate that some members of the House remain blind to budget realities," said Gov. Haley Barbour. "At today’s session of budget negotiators, for example, State Rep. Dirk Dedeaux, chairman of the House Medicaid Committee, said the federal stimulus money is like manna from Heaven, and just like manna from Heaven it must be eaten that day or it will rot. If people think the stimulus money is manna from Heaven and we’ll get more of it, they are sadly mistaken; unlike manna from Heaven, once this money is gone, it’s gone for good. The stimulus money Mississippi will receive was appropriated by Congress to be used over three fiscal years. A responsible budget must push as much money forward as we prudently and legally can in order to deal with the difficult fiscal prospects that await us, especially Fiscal Year 2011 which may be the worst year of the three. Legislators need to face up to the fact that this budget isn’t business as usual. Even with the federal stimulus money, there is not enough revenue to cover everything everybody would like to cover."

The 2009 session is in recess until May 26, when lawmakers return to finish a budget for the year that starts July 1.