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VOL. 37 | NO. 16 | Friday, April 19, 2013
State Legislature
General Assembly OKs Haslam's $32.8B budget plan
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam's $32.8 billion budget has cleared the Tennessee General Assembly.
The Senate unanimously approved the spending plan on Wednesday afternoon, and the House later followed suit on an 83-14 vote.
On Thursday, the Senate unanimously agreed with minor changes the House made and sent the proposal to the governor.
The budget includes $77.4 million for a 1.5 percent pay raise for state employees, $22.2 million to reduce the sales tax on food by a quarter of a cent, and $18.7 million to continue the elimination of the state's inheritance tax.
The measure also has $100 million to shore up the state's rainy day fund, which is currently $356 million.