Members of both the state Senate
and state House of Delegates will vote Friday on the state’s more than $4
billion budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.
After long days and nights of talks
that started with an extended session on Monday, leading lawmakers reached a
deal Thursday evening.
Prezioso said the latest form of
the budget bill would take $142 million from the Rainy Day Fund to balance the
budget. If a bill dealing with lottery revenues is approved in a Special
Session, the take from the Rainy Day Fund would drop to $121 million.
The lottery bill, also dubbed the
“bucket bill” or “haircut bill,” addresses allocations from excess lottery
funds.
Prezioso said the latest proposal
would reduce lottery revenues for infrastructure by $20 million for one year,
while taking 10 percent from revenues for racetrack development — including
those in the thoroughbred and greyhound industry — permanently. The
current $10 million allocation would fall to $9 million.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Fund was also a focus
for the budget conferees. The sides agreed to take approximately $10
million from the $19 million with some of that going to the Aged and Disabled
Waiver Program.
