Democratic leaders still must sell this two-year budget plan to rank-and-file members before Thursday’s scheduled votes in the House and Senate. Moderate Democrats have expressed concern about the tax hikes being proposed and have called for greater fiscal reforms. Though full details were not available, the new plan for this fiscal year and next would raise taxes on hospitals by more than 50 percent to leverage hundreds of millions in new federal dollars and help close projected shortfalls in state finances of $1.6 billion this fiscal year and $1.9 billion in 2018-19.
