WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled a record $4.1 trillion, election-year budget that finances Democratic priorities like education, health care and climate change with new taxes on crude oil, the wealthy and big banks.
The progressive wish list, which comes as the nation's long-term fiscal outlook is deteriorating, underscores the initiatives pushed by Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, who hope to succeed Obama. Republicans dismissed the proposal as a tax-and-spend exercise.
BOSTON – Local school officials directly challenged Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's commitment to traditional public education on Tuesday, confronting him over his administration's focus on expanding access to public charter schools and drawing a strong rebuke from the governor.
Baker's budget proposal for next year would increase local Chapter 70 education funding by 1.6 percent, despite 4.3 percent projected growth in state tax revenues. Unrestricted local aid would grow at the same rate as revenue in Baker's budget, but other accounts for special education and school transportation would be level funded.
