Gov. Phil Scott has signed a $7.3 billion state budget that he he says will put Vermont on a path to a more prosperous and equitable future.

Scott’s office announced late Tuesday that he had signed the budget and a separate bill that will accelerate community broadband deployment across the state.

“This is a truly transformational budget that will allow us to recover from the pandemic and address some longstanding challenges, including our workforce shortage and economic inequity that exists from county to county,” Scott in a statement.

“With smart state investments and a very strategic approach for using federal funds, this budget puts us on a new path to a more prosperous and equitable future for all of Vermont,” he said.

The budget includes funding small business pandemic relief, community revitalization projects and tourism marketing, career technical education programs and centers, adult training and re-training, state colleges, worker relocation grants.

The budget invests funding received through the federal American Rescue Plan and commits to additional appropriations in the following two fiscal years. This includes $250 million for climate change mitigation, $225 for clean water initiatives, $250 million for a wide array of housing projects.