State Senate Republicans plan to release their budget bill on Monday. Leaders in the House and Senate have already agreed on how much to spend, and it's expected to be a tight budget year.
Republicans plan to increase state spending by just 2.75%, well below the roughly 5% amount Senate leaders proposed last year — and well below what Gov. Josh Stein has proposed. That amounts to an increase of about $800 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1, and an additional $700 million (2.25%) the following year.