PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island lawmakers have increased the size of the state budget by 10% over the last two years, and the pressure to spend more shows no sign of letting up, according to a new analysis.
The report by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, an influential business-backed think tank, found that the budget has grown significantly faster than inflation since the eve of the pandemic. It has increased by over $1 billion just since the 2023-24 fiscal year, bringing the budget’s grand total to $14.3 billion today.
And while state leaders used to say the budget would shrink significantly once federal pandemic aid ran out, that hasn’t been the case…