Rhode Island lawmakers will consider the state's $13.9 billion budget this week — an amount that's $271 million more than what Gov. Dan McKee initially proposed but less than last year's record-breaking budget, according to NBC affiliate WJAR.
The proposed budget includes almost $85 million for the reconstruction of the Washington Bridge, as well as nearly $71 million for schools.
"We need as a society to provide a good quality education to our students and our Rhode Island students," House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told WJAR. "We have critical shortages. We have less teachers, we have less people working in those fields. So, we need to increase the wages, so we keep our best and brightest teachers."
The House will debate and vote on the budget Friday before it goes to the Senate next week.
