RI State Budget: Winners, Losers and Some Surprises
Friday, June 16, 2017
With hundreds of thousands of dollars of ad spend from the Democratic Governors Association and the threat of a veto, Governor Gina Raimondo wore down Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and new Senate President Dominick Ruggerio to secure funding for a wildly scaled back Promise college debt program, in the House Finance budget unveiled late on Thursday.
And while the budget proposal was not voted out of House finance by midnight -- which would have been the deadline to have it to a full vote by next Thursday -- the Speaker along with House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan agreed to adhere to the intended time frame.
One of the big surprises was cuts to RI Commerce Corporation.
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Members of the press were briefed well past 10 p.m. on Thursday on an overview of the budget, before the finance committee rushed consider it immediately following.
"Everything in the budget was a negotiation. We have limited resources. I'm very pleased -- I should say proud -- of the budget," said Mattiello, just before 11 on Thursday. "It's balanced, it restores resources for economic development tools for essential community needs, it restores funds for bus passes for elderly and disabled, restores funding to nursing homes and hospitals, adds additional employees for DMV - there's a lot you can be proud of."
The House Finance Committee was tasked in part in addressing the nearly $140 million budget shortfall the state found itself facing, after the May revenue estimating conference.
"It's always better, easier, when there's more revenue," said Mattiello. "I'm proud of the budget we produced in light of the conditions we have to work in -- it's put together very creatively."
Change to Free College Tuition Proposal
The pilot "free college" program will only be implemented for Community College of Rhode Island and still includes many of the issues the drew fire, while addressing some of the more contentious issues.
The Raimondo college program does not have a means test so students from wealthy families can utilize the program. However, according to Mattiello at Thursday's press conference, there is stipulated in the house budget proposal a grade point average requirement (2.5 GPA) and also stipulation that participants stay in Rhode Island following graduation.
Car Tax
The House Finance budget includes $26 million for the first year of the phase out of the car tax.
"It's 150,000 cars off the rolls," said Mattiello. "It's a regressive tax."
Time Frame
Mattiello spoke to the late hour on Thursday, when the press briefing adjourned just past 11, originally giving the Finance committee less than an hour to deliberate and vote on the measure, before both party's leaders agreed to lift the rule.
"They know the budget better than I do, they understand the budget, they work with it every day," said Mattiello of the compacted time frame."They're uniquely able to vote on it."
Related Slideshow: FY18 House Finance Budget
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