{"id":22811,"date":"2020-11-18T23:22:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T04:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/framinghamsource.com\/?p=22811"},"modified":"2020-11-18T23:26:41","modified_gmt":"2020-11-19T04:26:41","slug":"massachusetts-senate-passes-46-billion-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/framinghamsource.com\/index.php\/2020\/11\/18\/massachusetts-senate-passes-46-billion-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Massachusetts Senate Passes $46 Billion Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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BOSTON – The Massachusetts State Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a $46 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21), after adding $36.1 million in targeted investments over the course of two days of deliberations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passed with bipartisan support, the budget aims to move the Commonwealth towards an equitable recovery by making critical investments in sectors impacted by COVID-19 including early education and childcare, food security, housing supports, and public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith a second surge of COVID-19 upon us, we must do everything we can to shore up critical resources for those most in need so that we can begin to build towards an equitable recovery,\u201d said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). \u201cThis unprecedented budget is a testament to the challenges we face as a Commonwealth, but I am confident Massachusetts will emerge stronger and more resilient than before. I am thankful for the hard work of Chair Rodrigues, his team, Vice Chair Friedman, Assistant Vice Chair Lewis and the entire Senate Committee on Ways and Means for the budget they produced and finalized under these very difficult circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Conference Committee will now convene to reconcile the differences between the Senate budget and the version passed by the House of Representatives last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnder difficult circumstances because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud of the Senate’s ability during these last two days to meet the moment, engage in respectful debate, take action to protect our most vulnerable and set the Commonwealth on a path toward an equitable recovery,\u201d said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D- Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. \u201cUnder the leadership of Senate President Spilka, the Senate has taken important steps this week to confront the unprecedented challenges brought on by this public health crisis and pass a fiscally responsible budget plan that further protects access to child care, health care, housing, public transportation and economic opportunity. Thank you to my colleagues in the Senate for their tireless work and passionate advocacy over the course of our debate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As COVID-19 continues to spread across our Commonwealth, the Senate budget preserves access to essential services for our most vulnerable residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The budget funds MassHealth at a total of $18.2 billion to maintain critical access to affordable health care coverage for over 1.9 million people, ensuring that comprehensive care for our most vulnerable children, seniors and low-income residents is protected in the middle of a public health crisis. The Senate\u2019s budget also includes targeted investments to maintain and expand access to mental health care, while strengthening public health infrastructure at the local, state and regional level to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am proud to have voted in favor of this budget\u2014the $46 billion in funding will help our residents, especially those who are most vulnerable, as the Commonwealth continues to face new and unprecedented challenges that have emerged as a result of the coronavirus pandemic,\u201d said Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. \u201cThe Senate’s investments in behavioral health services, housing protections, reproductive health access, education, and food insecurity in particular are crucial steps toward ensuring a more equitable economic recovery and a more equitable Commonwealth for all. I thank Senate President Spilka, Chairman Rodrigues, and fellow committee members for their diligent but expeditious efforts in passing this budget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senate\u2019s budget protects Massachusetts students and educational institutions. Continuing the Senate\u2019s long-standing support of targeted investments in education, this budget holds harmless Chapter 70 funding in a manner consistent with the agreement reached between the Senate, House and Administration in July by providing $5.283 billion, an increase of $107.6 million over FY20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This additional level of investment will allow all school districts to maintain foundation spending levels while accounting for enrollment and inflation changes. The budget also includes $345 million for the Special Education (SPED) Circuit Breaker, reimbursing school districts for the cost of educating students with disabilities at the statutorily required 75% reimbursement rate. In addition to ensuring stability for the state\u2019s K-12 population, the
Senate\u2019s budget takes steps to invest in childcare providers and higher education institutions\u2014both of which are critically important to the state\u2019s economy and recovery in midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs our communities continue to struggle with both a public health and economic crisis, this budget represents an essential step forward to help our Commonwealth recover from the pandemic and rebuild a strong and equitable economy,\u201d said Senator Jason Lewis, Assistant Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. \u201cI\u2019m especially pleased that despite a significant decline in revenue, this budget invests substantially in early education and childcare — recognizing how critical this sector is for children, working families, and the state\u2019s economic recovery — and also seeks to protect important public transit services that are currently at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senate\u2019s budget recommends a total of $46 billion in spending, a 5.5% increase over the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) General Appropriations Act. This spending recommendation is based on a revised tax revenue estimate of $27.592 billion, which provides for $3.558 billion less in available revenue than the original consensus revenue estimate originally agreed upon in January 2020. To close this anticipated revenue shortfall, the FY21 budget includes $1.5 billion from the Stabilization Fund, ensuring a majority of the Stabilization Fund balance remains for future years; $1.38 billion in available federal supports; and more than $400 million in new revenue initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those initiatives, the budget includes provisions such as accelerated sales tax collection and a new fee structure for Transportation Network Companies. The budget also avoids drastic budget cuts while leaving the Commonwealth in a sound fiscal position moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additional education investments include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n