The House Appropriations Committee Tuesday amended and reported out House Bill 2328 (Adolph-R-Delaware) which creates a $29.1 billion General Fund budget that relies on $380 million from the passage of liquor privatization, $48 million from the 2-year suspension of 11 different tax credits and a $72.5 million transfer from DCNR’s Oil and Gas Fund.
Other budget highlights include--
-- Level funding of all high education line items;
-- $5 million for ready to succeed college scholarships;
-- $70 million more for basic education;
-- Level funding for Judiciary and General Assembly;
-- Replaces an additional $15.6 million in DCNR funding with transfers from the Oil and Gas Fund now totaling $72.7 million;
-- $2.25 million restored to Heritage Areas Program;
-- $2.25 million restored to Heritage Areas Program;
-- Provides an additional $10 million in funding for DEP general operations; and
-- An additional $500,000 cut from Delaware River Basin Commission funding.
The full balance sheet of Fund transfers has not been released yet by the House Republicans.
A spreadsheet showing changes between the FY 2013-14 budget is available online.
Rep. Bill Adolph (R-Delaware), Majority Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said he expects the full House to consider the budget on Wednesday.
