Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By Steve Peoples
Journal State House Bureau

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Senate Finance Committee unanimously endorsed the proposed $7.76-billion state spending plan that the House of Representatives had approved shortly before 2 a.m.Thursday.

The vote followed just seven minutes of discussion.

The spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 now heads to the full Senate, which is expected to vote on it Thursday evening.

The budget, as approved by the House in a 69-to-5 vote, wiped out millions of dollars to cities and towns, narrowed pension benefits for thousands of state workers and teachers, and boosted Rhode Island's gasoline tax by 2 cents per gallon.

Lawmakers have been forced to close the largest budget deficit in recent memory -- a $590-million gap, close to 20 percent of state-only spending.

-- Journal Staff Writer Kate Bramson contributed to this report

 Tags  legislature Providence RI state budget

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