Licht: Supplemental budget unlikely, unless the economy tanks

As the House prepares to vote Friday on the fiscal 2012 budget, a supplemental budget is not considered necessary – unless the sputtering economy takes a turn for the worse. That’s according to Richard Licht, director of the state Department of Administration, and the man introduced by Governor Lincoln Chafee as the deputy governor.

Licht commented during a taping today of WRNI’s Political Roundtable:

Assuming that the economy doesn’t dip again, in which case we will have that problem . . . . This budget does not have gimmicks, one-time [fixes]. I’m reading what’s going on in other states. The governor wanted a sound budget; This at least appears to be sound. If the economy goes off the track we will have a problem.

 Although House Finance wiped out most of Chafee’s reliance on new tax revenue, Licht says the budget includes many of the governor’s priorities.

You can hear the entire Political Roundtable – which includes discussion of the I-195 issue, Central Falls’ finances, and more — Friday at 5:40/7:40 am and online.