Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson presented his proposed $6.04 billion budget for fiscal 2023 to lawmakers Tuesday morning.
The Republican governor's proposal is a 3.3% growth in spending from the fiscal 2022 budget, or a $194.6 million increase.
"This is higher than I prefer but the needs of our state and our healthy financial position support that increase," Hutchinson told the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee.
The largest new spending initiative is about $37 million toward getting services to people with developmental disabilities who are on a waiting list.
The governor's presentation kicked off a series of budget hearings taking place ahead of the Arkansas General Assembly's Feb. 14 fiscal session.
Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for the full story.
Information for this article was contributed by Michael R. Wickline of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.