SUCCESS IN SENATE VERSION OF STATE BUDGETBOSTON, MA – After two days of debate, State Senator Scott Brown announces that the Massachusetts Senate passed a budget that while imperfect, is more fiscally sound than the House version passed last month. The over $28 billion budget makes investments in health care, education, and public safety. The budget proposal takes a step forward in aiding the fiscal and economic health of cities and towns by providing a 4.43 percent increase in local aid. This increase includes $223 million more in Chapter 70 education funding, as the state enters year three of the 5-year reform plan for funding education. The Legislature also committed to level funding the full $935 million municipalities receive from lottery sales despite a $124 million shortfall. Senator Brown fought for drastic shifts in spending from many accounts over to local aid accounts.
“Many of us in the Senate tried to tighten the reigns on spending this year,” said Senator Brown. “I believe the legislature has missed many opportunities for real progress towards helping our towns, but this is an adequate start.”
With an economic outlook that continues to decline, the Senate worked to focus on areas that will have the most impact on the lives of Massachusetts residents. These investments include:
$33 million to implement health care cost saving measures, such as electronic medical records and access to primary care;
$6.5 million investment to focus on the treatment and prevention of substance abuse;
$21.3 million for Community Policing Grants, and $4 million in Municipal Police Grants to put more police on the street;
$3.5 million for youth violence prevention grants – a Senate initiative first included in the FY08 budget;
$13 million for the Shannon anti-gang violence grants – the first time the Shannon grants have been included in the operating budget;
An 8.1 percent increase in housing programs, to help low-income families afford to stay in their communities, and includes $10 million to work toward ending homelessness in the Commonwealth;
$20 million for the community first initiative, which will to allow seniors to choose to receive care without leaving their communities,
$57.5 million for the funding for the prescription advantage program;
$12 million for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program to help cover the growing need for food assistance.
$5 million to expand universal pre-kindergarten;
$17.5 million for Extended Learning Time allowing for an additional 3,000 students to expand their school day or year in FY 2009;
$5 million for the early education rate reserve to provide salary to child care professionals;
During budget deliberations, Senator Brown put forward measures to address such issues as government waste, increased funding for education, unnecessary spending, veterans’ benefits and taxation. One budget amendment filed by Senator Brown will direct the Registry of Motor Vehicles to create and distribute veteran decals commemorating those who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Another amendment secured an additional $100,000 for support services to individuals with high functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome. Further more, the Massachusetts Family Network program will receive $5,395,694 for family services, educational and community building.
An amendment to increase METCO funding to $21.6 million, a million dollar increase over last year year’s budget was also adopted.
“METCO is a very successful program and with the additional funds, we will be able to more fully reimburse host towns for their participation,” said Senator Brown.
Senator Brown was successful in ushering through $75,000 to the WhizKids Foundation to assist schools setting up science exploration and tutoring programs to help elementary, middle and high school students become more involved with math and science education.
Other initiatives that Senator Brown sponsored and were incorporated in this budget include an amendment allowing towns to provide an exemption form the auto excise tax to residents that are on active or full time service as a member in the armed forces. In addition Senator Brown filed a successful amendment requiring the Department of Revenue and Department of Elder Affairs to work together to do an outreach about state and local tax credits, deductions, deferrals and exemptions and other tax information available to persons age sixty five and over.
Other funds secured by Senator Brown include:
$84,453 to the MetroWest Veterans Outreach Center to assists veterans in all conflicts;
$250,000 to the 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership to promote economic vitality and sustain natural resources while enhancing the quality of life in the 495/Metro West region;
increased funding by $1 million for early intervention for families dealing with mental disabilities;
and a tax credit to help struggling dairy farms in the Commonwealth;
More over, Senator Brown co-sponsored numerous amendments to directly transfer money to local aid or save taxpayers millions of dollars that would enable the Legislature to return additional money to the local level. This money would be returned to schools and municipalities in order to fill budget gaps for basic services. The amendments ran the gamut from cutting the Governor's Washington DC office operating budget that has ballooned over the last two years to setting up a working commission to reexamine the pension compensation for state universities employees. This effort is to avoid situations where a former state university president was able to bump his annual pension to $196,000 because his housing allowance wasn't included in his pension calculation.
Brown also filed amendments to transfer $1 million from UMASS administrators' bonuses to student scholarships, and to cut back on the tens of millions of dollars spent on advertising for the State Lottery. He was also at the forefront of pushing for amendments that give municipal employees the proper tools to more efficiently run local government.
During the debate, the Senate voted to further study the options and impacts of expanded gaming. The Senate also agreed to the amendment co-sponsored by Senator Brown that would change the name of the Department of Mental Retardation to the Department of Developmental Services.
The Senate and House of Representatives will now form a conference committee in order to negotiate a compromise budget to be sent to the Governor. The 2009 fiscal year begins July 1st.
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