CHEYENNE - Going into the Legislature's budget session two years ago, lawmakers had $185 million to spend on their pet projects.

This year after the Joint Appropriations Committee finished massaging Gov. Dave Freudenthal's budget, only $53 million was left on the table for the lawmakers.

The difference reflects the change in revenues from previous sessions when lawmakers were dealing with a $1 billion budget surplus.

"We're not as flush as we were," said Rep. Frank Philp, R-Shoshoni, co-chairman of the Joint Appropriations Committee.

With the Legislature's 2008 budget session set to begin today, the JAC budget as it goes to the floors of the House and Senate isn't drastically different from the version recommended by Freudenthal.

The governor's adjusted budget recommendations totaled $3.48 billion for the 2009-10 biennium.

The JAC is recommending $3.53 billion in spending from traditional revenue sources, or about $50 million more than the governor's spending plan, according to the state budget division.

"We didn't change his budget very much, really. There were a few things we added," Philp said.

The governor has not been critical of the JAC work, except for rejection of his $500,000 request for the University of Wyoming's Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources.

He said last week a new $5 million travel center on Interstate 25 in south Cheyenne, rejected by the JAC, is needed and should be restored to the budget.

Freudenthal has asked legislators to exercise restraint on spending, particularly with add-ons to the state agency operating budgets.

"This is a blue-collar-based, solid budget suitable for a state like Wyoming," House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, said last week.

Philp said Freudenthal asked for $8.1 million for preschool education through a letter to the committee submitted after he finished his budget proposal.

The JAC added $2.8 million in salaries for senior center employees, as well as $148,000 for colo-rectal screening; $544,000 for public broadcasting; $4 million for community college endowments; and $10 million to be set aside for Capitol Complex building renovation, including the State Capitol.

The committee also added $15.6 million for design and acquisition of property for state public health and Division of Criminal Investigation laboratories, now located on the top floor of the Hathaway Building. The current location presents a safety concern, Philp said.

Other JAC actions:

* Wildlife trust fund - The committee added $29.5 million to the corpus of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust Fund and $5 million for projects. Philp said governor asked for more than $40 million.

The fund currently has a balance of $57 million, Philp said.

"We have been adding to it gradually, and the governor wanted to put a big chunk into it," Philp said.

* Aid for cities, towns and counties - The committee adopted a $350 million package, including $222 million for a new formula to help counties with low per capita assessed valuation, such as Niobrara, Big Horn, Weston and Crook. Freudenthal asked for $408 million.

* Department of Transportation - The committee approved $225 million for highways.The governor recommended $200 million.

* The "rainy day" account, formally the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account - The committee allocated $27.5 million. Freudenthal didn't recommend an appropriation for the account, noting it had a $325 million balance, but said he would support an allocation of realized capital gains from the state treasurer's rebalancing of the state's investment portfolio.

* Water development - The committee added $10 million to the water account for rehabilitation of water systems and $24.5 million to the water account for big storage projects. Freudenthal didn't recommend any additional funding to these accounts.

* Business Ready Communities and Community Facilities programs - $94.2 million, the same amount recommended by the governor.

"I don't think we did a lot of damage," said Rep. Pete Jorgenson, D-Jackson, a JAC member. "Fiscally, we're pretty close."

"We moved things around some," said Rep. Rosie Berger, R-Big Horn, another JAC member. "We didn't have as much to work with."

Berger also said the committee over the past two bienniums has worked hard to create a good foundation, including programs such as the Hathaway Scholarship fund and K-12 education.

"Now we're just improving on that goal," she added.

The challenge to the JAC members will come when the budget goes to the floors of the House and Senate.

Philp said the last list he saw contained $430 million in other spending bills. A total of 181 bills have been prefiled for the maximum 20-day budget session.

Because these bills are not part of the budget, they will need a two-thirds majority vote in either chamber to be considered.

Contact Joan Barron at joan.barron@trib.com or by phone at 307-632-1244.