Republican Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday unveiled his $37 billion Tennessee spending plan for the budget year beginning July 1, a 4.8 percent increase over the current year. Haslam's proposed new spending includes:
—$655 million for building construction and maintenance across state government and higher education.
—$279 million in new road building and maintenance funds generated largely from a hike in the gas and diesel taxes.
—$278 million to cover tax cuts including $55 million to reduce the sales tax on groceries; $102 million to cut corporate taxes for manufacturers; and $60 million to reduce the tax on income from stocks and bonds.
—$230 million for K-12 schools, including $100 million for teacher salaries and $22 million for English language learning programs.
—$214 million to cover increased costs for TennCare, the state's expanded Medicaid program covering 1.5 million Tennesseans.
—$135 million to give back money taken from the highway fund by previous governors.
—$132 million to bring the state's rainy day fund budget reserve to all-time high of $800 million.
—$60 million for economic development and jobs training grants.
—$78 million for higher education and the Complete College Act.
—$77 million for state employee pay increases and market rate adjustments.
—$45 million in grants and tax credits over three years to encourage commercial broadband expansion to rural areas.
—$21 million to fund Rural Task Force recommendations.
—$15 million for career and technology education equipment.
—$15 million for the state's aeronautics economic development fund.
—$12 million to fund substance abuse and crisis intervention treatment and service.
—$8 million to buy a new rescue helicopter and $1.7 million to pay for new fire trucks.
—$3.5 million to hire 27 positions in state prosecutors' offices and 18 in public defenders' offices.
—$3.4 million to hire and outfit 25 new Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers.
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Source: Gov. Bill Haslam's office.