State's budget gap is reduced from $72M down to $18M

MONTPELIER— House Speaker Mitzi Johnson and the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee say they have found ways to reduce the state’s projected budget gap from $72 million to about $ 18 million, but many tough decisions must still be made to bring the 2018 fiscal year budget into balance.

Johnson, D-South Hero, and Rep. Kitty Toll, D-Danville, briefed reporters Friday on the status of their budget work as lawmakers prepared for the annual weeklong Town Meeting Day break.

Gov. Phil Scott proposed’s budget called for increased spending in early and higher education. It called for funding the increase by moving some general fund obligations to the education fund, level-funding local school district budgets and requiring teachers to pay at least 20 percent of their health care premiums.

But the governor’s education proposals were rejected almost immediately by the Democrat-led Legislature. Toll said her committee has been “really slugging it out” during the first two months of the legislative session and has essentially shelved the governor’s entire budget proposal and is working from the current budget to craft the 2018 fiscal year spending plan.

Read more: http://www.timesargus.com/articles/states-budget-gap-is-reduced-from-72m-down-to-18m/