State budget this week, end of session next week

7:43AM ON 06/16/2008
BY Dave Segal

Seems to be the way things are headed. I’ll be swamped, and posting less than usual (would be great if other Dosers could help pick up the slack…)

The budget is going to be heard by the full House of Reps on Wednesday, probably passing on Thursday after 12-or-so hours of debate.

The Projo covers it here. Moments of note include:

Many kicked of of Head Start and RiteCare;
Municipal aid reduced, relative to last year’s enacted budget;
Increase in public school funding of about 1.5%, but a cut to the college and university systems;
Affordable energy fund money gets ’scooped’;
Prisons budget goes down by about 6%.
Asks (and assumes) federal permission for unprecedented ambiguous Medicaid restructuring, claiming savings of $60 million
No increase in broad-based state-level taxes, but expect cities and towns to have to raise taxes by maximum amount allowable, and reduce services too.

And some other legislation that’s still in play, as we reach the home-stretch:

National Popular Vote;
Pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds;
Package of renewable energy bills that would drastically increase renewables production here over the next several years;
RIPTA package (incentives for public employees and college students to use RIPTA)
End to mandatory minimum sentences
Probation reform
Court Fines reform
Medical marijuana dispensaries

And there’s still the possibility of passage of some of the slew of anti-immigrant bills that were introduced this session…

I’ll give updates as I can, over the course of the week.

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