House seeks governor's help on budget as administration puts gag on agency heads

Last edited Mon Mar 20, 2017, 04:04 AM - Edit history (1)

House leaders are calling on Gov. Phil Scott to come forward with new proposals for how to close the remaining gap in the next fiscal year budget.

The lawmakers’ call came hours after the state’s finance chief issued a gag order to heads of agencies and departments directing them not to work directly with the Legislature on proposals for reducing the budget.

The House Appropriations Committee still must wrestle closed an $18 million gap between expected spending and revenues in the next fiscal year. The committee has already whittled the gap down from a total of $72 million.

In the final stages, lawmakers say they need help from the Scott administration. But the governor is resisting legislative requests.

Read more: https://vtdigger.org/2017/03/15/house-seeks-governors-help-budget-administration-puts-gag-agency-heads/