Senate passes $7.8B budget for FY2010

PROVIDENCE — The Senate voted late Friday to approve the $7.81 billion state budget plan for the 2010 fiscal year passed by the House of Representatives the day before.

The document is now on the desk of Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, who has criticized legislative leaders’ proposal but not threatened to veto it. Carcieri’s spokeswoman told WJAR-TV the governor would not make a decision on the budget before Monday.

The 2010 fiscal year starts on Wednesday, the first day of July.

The tax-and-spending plan approved by lawmakers would close an annual deficit projected at nearly $590 million by ending preferential tax treatment of long-term capital gains, slashing departmental budgets and eliminating general revenue sharing with municipalities, among other measures.

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The budget’s size increased to $7.81 billion from $7.76 billion on the House floor after funding was restored for a number of items, including the health insurance commissioner’s office and the R.I. Economic Development Corporation.

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