Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter gave his State of the State address today as the Legislature began.
His recommendation concerning the state budget includes:
_ A holdback in the current fiscal year of $40 million, which is 1.6 percent of the budget.
_ A budget for the next fiscal year that is based on zero growth from the last fiscal year: $2.43 billion total.
That budget proposal conservatively estimates revenue at $83.8 million less than what is forecast.
_ Continuing the expansion of the grocery tax credit, which is scheduled to continue growing at a clip of $10 a year until it reaches $100 for individuals.
_ Eliminating 400 state jobs in the next year’s budget, which includes 375 positions that are currently vacant.