Governor Lincoln D. Chafee will deliver his first budget address to a joint session of the Rhode Island General Assembly tomorrow night at 7:00 PM. The address, titled Path to Prosperity, will be approximately 25 minutes in length and will be broadcast live on area television stations.
The Governor’s address, the first major fiscal policy speech of the Chafee Administration, will outline his proposed state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The budget will reflect the overarching policy framework of the Chafee Administration, which includes the following:
· Improving Rhode Island’s economic competitiveness to spur job creation
· Investing in education and workforce development
· Correcting the $295 million structural budget deficit facing state government
· Cutting costs and improving efficiency in the delivery of health and human services
· Investing in public infrastructure
· Improving government efficiency
“I look forward to introducing members of the General Assembly to my budget philosophy and to the specifics of my proposed 2012 budget,” stated Governor Chafee. “Working together, we have a significant opportunity to turn our state in the direction of financial recovery and economic growth.”
The budget address will be broadcast live on television on WLNE, WJAR, and WPRI, on radio on WRNI, and will subsequently be made available online at the Governor’s web site (governor.ri.gov).