Sen. Burrage welcomes support of Democratic priorities

Senate Democratic Leader Sean Burrage said funding National Board Certification bonuses for teachers and other critical needs in state government is the right thing to do. His comments followed Tuesday’s vote by Senate members of the Joint Appropriations and Budget Committee in favor of Senate Bill 1959. The $92.5 million funding bill will provide additional dollars needed to meet obligations in a variety of areas, including education and public safety.

“For months, Senate Democrats have supported funding the $5,000 bonuses for National Board Certified teachers. We’ve long supported getting Highway Patrol Troopers trained and out on the road to protect our families from dangerous drivers,” Burrage said. “Each of the issues addressed in this bill deserves the attention of the Legislature.”

“The irony is the need for these supplemental resources are a direct result of underfunding state services in the first place, and yet there are multiple plans out here to eliminate the income tax,” Burrage said. “Hopefully this is a sign that Senate Republicans understand you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.”