The State Senate approves the next fiscal year’s operating budget and an additional million one-time spending bill.
The $5.6 billion operating budget includes three to nine percent pay raises for full-time state workers, and a nine percent pay increase for teachers. The budget also establishes a $15 minimum wage for full-time merit state employees.
It allocates $30 million to increase mental health support in elementary and middle schools, $21 million to early childhood education programs, $2.3 million for a residential lead paint remediation program and $1.3 million to provide free legal representation to families facing eviction.
In all, it’s a 10 percent increase over this year’s budget. And State Sen. Trey Paradee - Joint Finance Committee vice chair - says they are concerned about next year’s projected $250 million decline in annual revenue.
“The reality is that we are starting to see signs that the largesse is starting to dry up," Paradee says. "And the revenue growth, or at least what is projected ovet the next two or three years is just not there. So we’re really going to have to be careful moving forward not to add too many new programs and just really focus on taking care of our own people.”
The $194.5 million supplemental bill includes $69 million in contingency funds for Medicaid and $51 million to address outstanding long-term liability costs associated with retiree health benefits,
State Sen. Dave Lawson argues several things in the supplemental bill are not “one-time,” and others offered “reluctant” support due to looming budget challenges. The bills now head to Gov. Carney.
