Senator Lavalle Comments on Budget Resolution

Senator Kenneth P. LaValle today announced that he opposed the Senate Democrats’ budget resolution, which was prepared in complete secrecy, leaving no time for public review and little time for questions and debate.  Even a quick assessment of their budget reveals that their priorities are wrong and their numbers don’t add up.

“I voted against their $135 billion budget resolution because it increases spending without a way to pay for it,” said Senator LaValle.  “Their budget does not include a cap on state spending or local school taxes, it does nothing to create jobs, and it doesn’t go far enough to provide property tax relief.

“Instead, their budget adds $1.5 billion in new spending and they are proposing billions of dollars in risky gimmicks, questionable tax collections, and other deceptive practices to pay for it.

“The Senate Republicans drafted a budget that proposed many alternatives to reduce state spending, including agency consolidations; Medicaid reform and tougher measures to fight fraud; welfare reform and other ways to increase accountability to lessen state spending.

"Long term, our plan would be paid for with savings from the enactment of a constitutional state spending cap.  Instead, the Senate Democrats supported a plan that provides much less tax relief and no relief at all for thousand of hardworking taxpayers.”