Speaker Shap Smith today announced that he and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin have asked money committees and chairs to hold public hearings next week on the Governor Douglas newly submitted budget. They have also asked that Douglas' proposals, announced Tuesday, be submitted in budget form. The governor's proposal cuts about $42 million from the $4.5 billion budget the Legislature passed two weeks ago.
I appreciate that the Governor has returned to the negotiating table with a written proposal, said Speaker Smith. Senator Shumlin and I intend to give the Governor s newly presented budget due diligence, which is why we have asked committees to convene public hearings next week to understand the impact of Governor Douglas proposal on Vermonters.
On Wednesday, May 27, the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees, along with the Chairs of Appropriations and Education, will hold a public hearing from 1 4 p.m. in Room 11 on the Governor s Education Fund and tax proposals.
On Thursday, May 28, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, along with the Chairs of Ways and Means, Finance, Human Services, Health Care and Government Operations, will hold a public hearing from 1 4 p.m. in Room 11 on the Governor s proposal to make deeper General Fund cuts.
I continue to have very serious concerns about the Governor s newly outlined budget, especially with regard to how it will dramatically raise property taxes on middle income families, Speaker Smith said. A town by town comparison of how much more or in four cases, less families making between $75,000 and $96,000 will pay in property taxes under the governor s proposal v. the legislature s budget is attached.
The Speaker and President Pro Tem yesterday sent a letter to the Governor asking him to submit his new budget in bill form no later than Friday, May 29, in advance of the special session on Tuesday, June 2.
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PropertyTaxComparison.xls427.5 KB