Gov. Raimondo and top lawmakers, shown before the pandemic, will have their hands full in trying to improve the budget outlook.
Gov. Raimondo and top lawmakers, shown before the pandemic, will have their hands full in trying to improve the budget outlook. Credit: Ian Donnis

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The pandemic has devastated budgets in states across America, and Rhode Island is no exception.

The size of the current and next-year deficits will come into sharper focus Friday with the conclusion of the twice-year Revenue and Estimating Conference.

For now, a Boston Federal Reserve study estimates that Rhode Island has lost at least $400 million in current-year revenue. That’s on top of a pre-existing $200 million deficit.

While the situation may call for draconian cuts, Gov. Gina Raimondo said fiscal issues will gain more attention in the weeks ahead, while, for now, responding to the pandemic remains front and center. Raimondo is also holding out hope for federal help to alleviate the red ink.

One of the state’s top political reporters, Ian Donnis joined The Public’s Radio in 2009. Ian has reported on Rhode Island politics since 1999, arriving in the state just two weeks before the FBI...