‘Strong objection’: McKee declines to sign or veto $14.3 billion state budget citing fee and tax increases

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has announced that he will not sign or veto the state budget passed by the General Assembly.

The $14.3 billion spending package was approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly with a 32-4 Senate vote on Friday.

In a statement, McKee said:

The proposed tax and fee increase would make it even harder for Rhode Island families to afford everyday life.

In a letter to Rhode Island House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi, McKee objected to what he said is an increase to 41 cents per gallon of gas, new health insurer fees he asserted would be passed on to residents, home sale conveyance tax increases of 63 percent and an increase in resident commute-related expenses.

McKee also stated that if he had the ability to issue line-item vetoes, that he would have reversed the bill’s tax and fee increases.

He went on to say:

Lacking that authority, I am allowing this bill to become law without my signature as a clear and deliberate statement of my strong objection to the cost increases it imposes on Rhode Islanders.

ABC6 has reached out to representatives from both the Rhode Island House and Senate for comment in this matter.