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$1.6 billion budget fix ready for full Legislature

Democratic lawmakers late Thursday voted to bridge a $1.6 billion budget gap by taxing outpatient surgery centers in the same way as hospitals, refinancing state debt and making promised cuts to schools, local governments and state agencies.

After days of intense, closed-door talks, Democrats on the budget committee also approved mandates on insurers to cover the treatment of autism and mental health as well as controversial overhauls of rules governing automobile insurance and liability lawsuits.