House lawmakers gave final approval Friday to an $8.6 billion state budget proposal that makes some changes to the spending plan Gov. Phil Scott unveiled in January.
The passed largely along party lines on Friday, but Vergennes Rep. Diane Lanpher, the Democratic chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, said large spending bills tend to invite political controversy.
鈥淭he process of balancing a state budget each year that respects the values of Vermonters and the revenues within the treasurer can at times appear messy and loud,鈥� Lanpher said. 鈥淏ut that is how democracy works.鈥�
Democratic leaders in the House dialed back some of the Republican governor's top priorities 鈥� such as a rental unit rehabilitation program and manufactured home improvement fund 鈥� in favor of other initiatives.
The budget, for instance, . Lanpher said lawmakers made a commitment to state colleges several years ago to provide five years of 鈥渂ridge funding,鈥� as the troubled system looks to regain its financial footing.
鈥淥ur previous commitment was $10 million, so we were able to do that in this budget,鈥� Lanpher said.
The House has restored funding for a fish hatchery in Salisbury that was slated for closure under Scott鈥檚 spending plan. And House lawmakers have also increased funding for adult education, mental health urgent care centers and the Vermont Arts Council.
Though the budget approved Friday lives within the confines of the current revenue forecast, the proposal does not include $131 million in new spending initiatives approved by House lawmakers in separate bills earlier this week.
Democratic House leaders have proposed using a tax increase on high earners and corporations to pay for the new initiatives. Scott and House Republicans say the plan would discourage businesses from locating in the state, and compel the high earners 鈥� who already provide 30% of personal income tax revenue in Vermont 鈥� to move to states with lower tax rates.
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