FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | June 23, 2020
Delaware State Senate Majority Caucus
Contact: Scott Goss (302) 744-4180, or
Dylan McDowell (302) 744-4282
The Delaware Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget.
“This was one of the more difficult years in my tenure as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, due to both the sudden economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the added complexity of drafting the State’s spending plan during these difficult times,” said Senator Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington.
“I am confident, however, that this operating budget is the best spending plan we could put forward given the tremendous uncertainty in our revenue projections,” he said. “Senate Bill 240, combined with the Grant-In-Aid bill, fulfills our promise to state employees by fully funding all existing collective bargaining agreements, including those negotiated by our police and teachers. It fully funds our public schools, including an additional $27.7 million for anticipated enrollment growth. And, it keeps our promise of providing additional support for vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities and children in foster care.”
The proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 totals $4.55 billion, representing a 2.1-percent increase from the current year’s spending plan. That’s down from the nearly 4-percent growth initially proposed by Governor John Carney in January.
Despite significantly scaling back from the Governor’s initial budget proposal, the Operating Budget bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday largely holds the line on spending compared to the current fiscal year and includes virtually no program cuts or service reductions. It also retains more than $63 million for the Budget Stabilization Fund.
Senate Bill 240 now head to the House of Representatives for final consideration.
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