Gov. John Carney unveiled his budget earlier today, and the decent DEFAC numbers have him feeling expansive. His blueprint calls for $4.25 billion in spending, an increase of 3.5% that he claims is sustainable but would be even more sustainable if the General Assembly had granted all his requests, which he won’t repeat in an election year.
The bulk of the increase goes to long-deferred salary increases for state workers — a 2 percent raise for schoolteachers, a $1,000 pay increase for other state employees, and $10 million for higher prison guard salaries. Randall Chase runs down more of the numbers for the Associated Press.