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Senate appropriations presents budget priorities: courts, community providers, pensions, housing
Summary
The Senate appropriations overview sets out targeted funding to reduce court backlogs, a 3% increase for community-based providers, $30 million for a state employee pay act, pension/OPEB catch-up, ARPA reallocation for FEMA match, changes to emergency housing eligibility and a $4.7 million line for the "Medicare cliff."
Speaker 2, an unidentified speaker, presented the Senate appropriations committeecliff notes for the current budget and highlighted a set of priorities the committee added or protected in its recommendations. "You will find that in the cliff notes here that we are providing a 3% increase to those community based providers," Speaker 2 said, and the committee also included funding to address the courts' backlog and pension obligations.
The committee emphasized clearing a "tremendous backlog" in the courts by adding judges and staff, which Speaker 2 linked directly to delays in parental-rights hearings that have affected children in foster care. The budget "does include about $30,000,000 for pay act for state employees," Speaker 2 said, noting the governornegotiated contract for state employees will exceed a 6% increase; that gap informed the committeedecision to provide a modest raise for community providers so they can compete in the labor market.
On long-term liabilities, Speaker 2 said the budget meets the committee's pension obligations and covers OPEB (health-care costs for retired teachers). The speaker…
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