Summaries of Fiscal Year 2021 Proposed Budgets
While governors called for fiscal discipline in their budget proposals, they did prioritize several program areas.
Once again elementary and secondary education was an area of emphasis, with some governors directing the majority of new spending to K-12.
Budget recommendations included efforts to increase formula funding, expand early education, raise teacher salaries, promote teacher recruitment and retention, and boost capital spending on school buildings. Regarding higher education, governors included plans to
increase tuition assistance, cap tuition growth, and provide additional funding.
Governors also included initiatives to promote workforce development including addressing skills gaps, supporting vocational education, increasing apprenticeships, meeting the needs of employers, and added job training programs. In the area of corrections and public safety, several governors called for additional funding to increase public safety pay, hire more state troopers, improve prison conditions, tackle violent crime, and address the challenges of reentry.
Another area of emphasis was healthcare, with governors including plans to improve access, lower costs, make needed reforms, promote cost savings, add insurance protections, examine Medicaid expansion, and reduce prescription drug costs.
Governors also called for increasing investments in infrastructure, stretching transportation dollars, and re-examining transportation systems.
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