Rhode Island House passes $9.2B budget and raises minimum wage

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Rhode Island House of Representatives Thursday voted to cut car taxes, raise the state’s minimum wage and provide two tuition-free years of community college as they passed a $9.2-billion state budget.

The budget, which now moves to the state Senate, passed 64-11 on a party line vote.

“I think we have struck a really good balance that will serve our residents well,” House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello told reporters after the final budget vote, which took place before 9 p.m. after roughly five hours of debate. “The state can’t afford not to do the car tax relief. The citizens are demanding it,”

The tax and spending plan for the year starting July 1 takes advantage of more than $40 million in one-time spending to plug a revenue shortfall and raises additional money through online sales tax changes and a 50-cent hike in the cigarette tax.

Read more: http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170622/ri-house-passes-92b-budget-64-11-on-strictly-party-line-vote