This is budget season at the state Capitol and we will be working hard on getting a final spending plan for 2013-14 in place before the June 30 deadline. This week, House Republican leaders introduced a $28.3 billion budget proposal that would increase spending by 2.1 percent and does not raise taxes.
Our plan focuses on education, public safety, health and human services, and the environment by proposing to do the following:
• Increase basic education funding by $100 million, making the state’s investment in our public schools the highest it has ever been at $10.3 billion.
• Allocate funding for more than 300 new state troopers.
• Restore $7.2 million in disease-related funding.
• Allocate $4 million for county conservation districts.
The budget bill is scheduled for consideration by the House Appropriations Committee next week.