Policy & Research provides updates and presentations on issues and areas of interest to New England Legislators and their staff, including current and proposed state and national legislation, data and research.
See State Insights to explore key higher education data in each New England state
Lawmakers Create Separate Board for URI, Reject Expanding College Promise to Four-Year RIC
Rhode Island lawmakers tackled education reform and OK’d a separate board of trustees for URI even as they erased a $200 million budget gap. Gov. Gina Raimondo signed a $9.9 billion budget for FY20, which avoids new taxes, strengthens PreK-12, continues the phase-out of the car tax (auto excise tax) and closes a $200 million… Read more »
Maine’s 2019 Legislative Session Produces Less Rancor, More Healthcare
Maine lawmakers adjourned the 2019 legislative session, passing a two-year budget of $8 billion for FY20 and FY21, absent the partisan rancor of previous years. The budget contains no tax increases or tax cuts. Senate Majority Leader Nate Libby (D-Lewiston) noted the budget committee cast more than 1,100 votes on budget line items with 99%… Read more »
Vermont 2019 Session Ends with Wage, Paid Leave Deliberations To Be Continued …
The Vermont General Assembly adjourned the 2019 session in stages as the House and Senate, both with Democratic majorities, were unable to resolve their differences on two major proposals. At issue were proposals to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and a plan to provide paid family and medical leave to Vermonters. Despite… Read more »
Connecticut Makes Community College Free, while Raising Minimum Wage and OK’ing Paid Family and Medical Leave
Connecticut lawmakers ended their session and sent a balanced budget of $43 billion for FY20 and FY21 to Gov. Ned Lamont. Democrats, who hold a majority in both legislative branches, said the budget erases a deficit without raising tax rates. Progressive Democrats in the General Assembly unsuccessfully pushed to tax the wealthiest Connecticut residents on… Read more »
