Legislative finance committees are set to start holding hearings Tuesday on details of Governor Gina Raimondo’s first budget. The governor’s spending plan has attracted both praise and criticism.
The House and Senate finance committees stage weeks of hearings to review different aspects of the annual budget. Supporters and opponents of different programs turn out to testify, in an attempt to sway lawmakers.
Governor Raimondo calls her $8.6 billion spending plan a “jobs” budget that will spark a comeback for Rhode Island’s economy. It includes incentives meant to spur business growth, a hike in the minimum wage, and a new statewide tax on vacation homes worth at least a million dollars.
The House Finance Committee eventually sends the budget to the House floor, where it gets approved during a marathon session in June or July.
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