WPRO News
Governor Gina Raimondo says her focus is on moving her budget forward one day after State House leadership pledged to do away with her cuts to cross-district busing and textbook loan programs.
Raimondo’s controversial proposed cuts came under harsh criticism from the Diocese of Providence, with Bishop Thomas Tobin penning an editorial saying the cuts would hurt middle-class families who sacrifice to send their children to public schools.
The Governor has had a rocky relationship with the state’s Catholic Church since her campaign in 2014; however Raimondo said her recent history with the Diocese did not factor into the equation.
“We were simply saying in the face of a $200 million deficit there are a lot of cuts you never want to make,” said Raimondo.
Her hopes were that the cities and towns would make room in their own budgets to account for private and parochial school children in need of text books and transportation. She says the House disapproving of her budget cuts is just one step in the total budget journey.
“I never expected they would pass the budget exactly as presented, so we’re going to weave through the process, we’re going to work with the General Assembly in a collaborative way and pass a budget which gets people back to work and moves the state forward.”
