Lawmakers Agree on Budget Proposal
May 4th, 2009 by flanewsLawmakers have reached an agreement on a budget proposal that includes increased taxes, fees and college tuition.
The increases will help plug a three billion dollar deficit in next year�s budget. Drivers, hunters, and fishermen will be paying more in fees and smokers will pay higher cigarette taxes. Budget Co-Chair David Rivera said lawmakers still have to decide how much money they�ll get from a cigarette tax, and how much will come from tobacco settlement money.
�We haven�t come to closure on the issue of the details of a cigarette tax. We�ve come to an agreement as to an amount. We have a little over 900 million in revenues. How exactly we get to those revenues is still under discussion,� said Rivera.
State law requires a three day cooling off period from the time a budget proposal has been reached until it can be voted on by the full House and Senate.
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