HOUSE, SENATE AGREE ON STATE BUDGET

Plan Invests in Cities and Towns, Focuses on Job Growth, Continues Health Care Reform

BOSTON—Massachusetts House and Senate budget writers reached an agreement today on the $28.233 billion Fiscal Year 2009 state budget. The plan calls for continued financial support of cities and towns; increased funding for early, secondary and higher education and funding of targeted economic development initiatives. The budget also provides the resources necessary to continue implementation of health care reform and provides funds for public safety and human service agencies. Referred to as a conference committee report, the accord is the result of an agreement between House and Senate negotiators charged with resolving differences between the branches’ versions of the budget. Once enacted, the bill will travel to the Governor’s desk for his consideration.

 “The conference report is an appropriate agreement, which allowed us to make some wise investments in the programs and services that are so vital to the people of the Commonwealth. We were able to do this while still upholding our fiscal responsibilities,” said Representative Carlo Basile (D-East Boston).

 “It is a difficult task each year to balance the needs of the Commonwealth with the existing fiscal restraints.  This conference report appears to achieve this complicated balance,” commented Senator Anthony Petruccelli (D-Boston). 

  

Selected highlights of the budget agreement benefitting East Boston include:

 ·         Provided $200,000 for Zumix in East Boston; 

 ·         Provided $179,381 for the Crossroads Family Shelter in East Boston;

 ·         Provided $50,000 for the YMCA in East Boston;

 ·         Provided $5,000,000 for a diversion program for addicts of OxyContin or heroin; and,

 ·         Provided $195,000 for the final phase of an environment risk assessment of the health impacts of the Logan Airport on any community located within a five mile radius. 

 

Selected highlights of the budget agreement include:

 

 Local Aid

 ·         Provided $528,804,131 in total local aid to the City of Boston.

 ·         Provided $935 million in unrestricted local aid to cities and towns. Despite the fact that only $811 million was available from the Lottery Fund, the budget allocates an additional $124 million to hold cities and towns harmless;

 ·         Provided over $3.95 billion for Chapter 70 education funding, which is a $223 million increase over last year’s allocation. The increase comes as part of a five year plan to move individual school districts toward their target-aid contribution level. Under the Legislature’s plan, each school district would see an increase in Chapter 70 funding over last year;

 ·         Provided $20 million for the Sewer Rate Relief fund to help control the water and sewer bills of ratepayers throughout the Commonwealth; and,

 ·         Provided $21.35 million in community policing grants to cities and towns.

 

Education

·         With respect to the City of Boston: Provided $221,422,839 for Chapter 70 education funding;

·         With respect to Early Education and Care: Provided $197.7 million for child care vouchers for those being served by the Department of Transitional Assistance; $213.6 million for low income child care vouchers; and $79.1 million for supportive child care to ensure that no children with active abuse or neglect cases will be without child care services;

·         With respect to the Department of Education: Provided $33.8 million for kindergarten expansion grants; $61.3 million for regional school transportation; $230 million for the special education ‘circuit breaker’; and provided $17.5 million, up $4.5 million from last year, for Expanded Learning Time Grants; and,

·         With respect to Higher Education: Provided an increase of $3 million for higher education scholarships; provided an increase of $13.4 million for state and community colleges; and provided an increase of $24.2 million for the University of Massachusetts system.

 

Public Safety

·         Provided $4 million in funding for municipal police training grants;

·         Provided over $163 million for services at the Department of Youth Services (DYS);

·         Provided $3.3 million for teachers’ salaries to improve teacher retention at DYS;

·         Provided $16.7 million for the State Police Crime Lab; and,

·         Provided $1.2 million to reduce recidivism rates at the Department of Corrections.

 

Health and Human Services

·         Changed the name of the Department of Mental Retardation to the Department of Developmental Services and provided $1.27 billion for that department;

·         Provided $685.4 million for the Department of Mental Health;

·         Provided $836.5 million for the Department of Social Services;

·         Provided a $1 million increase to Head Start programs;

·         Provided a $428,000 increase to the Healthy Families program;

·         Provided $23 million for salary adjustments for human service providers;

·         Provided $300,000 for the Office of the Child Advocate which would act as an oversight agency for state agencies that handle child abuse and neglect; and,

·         Provided $25 million for the implementation of electronic medical records to be administered by the pending health care cost containment legislation.

 

Economic Development