Abercrombie submits $11B budget request

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 04:36 p.m. HST, Dec 19, 2011

Gov. Neil Abercrombie today released a budget request for the second year of the state’s two-year budget cycle that would increase state spending by $188 million, which would bring the state budget to $11.1 billion, up from $10.9 billion.

The governor’s request is a 1.7 percent increase over the fiscal year 2013 budget approved by lawmakers and the governor earlier this year. State spending for fiscal year 2012, which ends in June, is $11 billion.

Abercrombie asked lawmakers for about $120 million in new general fund spending, but the request is offset by about $85 million in savings, so the net increase would be about $35 million. The new spending includes money for welfare, public-school transportation, public-school weighted student formula, health care for the poor, and child protective services.

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The governor’s request is based on 14.5 percent revenue growth for this fiscal year projected by the state Council on Revenues. If the projection holds, the state is expected to have a budget surplus.

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