State House leaders released their proposed budget Monday night that includes additional raises for teachers and state government employees.
Republican leaders in the House and Senate have been negotiating for weeks over how to spend a revenue surplus of roughly a billion dollars. But the two chambers haven't reached an agreement, so the House plans to vote on its own spending plan this week.
The House wants to give state employees an additional 1 percent pay raise. That would be on top of a 3 percent raise already set to take effect next month.
And teachers would get an average raise of more than 4 percent, including a $3,000 increase in starting salaries.
State retirees would get a 2-percent cost-of-living bonus.
The proposal also includes money to fund private school vouchers for families at all income levels, and it includes more than 100-million for child care centers to help them stay open as federal COVID-19 grants expire.
House Democrats said the budget bill amounts to political theater because the Senate isn't on board.