By Bob Katzen
The House and Senate approved and Gov. Maura Healey signed into law a $3.1 billion supplemental budget to close out fiscal year 2023. A key and controversial provision provides for $250 million for sheltering eligible families during the emergency shelter crisis created by the recent influx of thousands of migrants.
Other provisions include $2.1 billion for MassHealth to cover end of year deficiencies; $75 million for school districts impacted by special education tuition rate increases; $15 million for disaster relief for municipalities impacted by storms and naturals disasters that occurred in 2023; $378 million to fund collective bargaining agreements; and $500,000 for the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Youth.
The House and Senate approved the package in informal sessions during which, under House and Senate rules, roll call votes are not allowed. The Senate agreed to a GOP proposal to hold a formal session but the House did not agree and a formal session was not held.
The budget was approved on a 105-14 standing vote in the House and by a 20-3 standing vote in the Senate. During a standing vote, members who support a bill are asked to stand up and be counted. Following that, members who oppose the bill are asked to stand up and be counted. Senators do not cast an individual vote so there is no recorded roll call vote on the bill.
“I’m proud to sign this supplemental budget that dedicates critical funding for hard-earned raises for workers, supports municipalities with covering the costs of special education and flood relief, sustains our Emergency Assistance program and more,” said Gov. Healey.
“The Senate understands how much of an impact our work has on the residents of the commonwealth—especially when pay raises for hard-working employees and funding for emergency shelter is on the line,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland).
“The House Republican Caucus understands the importance of passing a final deficiency appropriations bill to address the unfunded union contract situation, provide disaster relief funding for cities and town and meet the fiduciary responsibilities associated with closing the books on fiscal year 2023,” said GOP House Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “At the same time, we remain deeply concerned about the lack of meaningful reforms contained in the bill to address the emergency shelter crisis created by the recent influx of thousands of migrants, which remains an untenable situation that must be resolved.”
“Democratic leadership put us in an impossible situation by intentionally weaving these separate issues together,” continued Jones. “There is no legitimate reason that funding for union contracts and aid for cities and towns needed to be tied to controversial immigration policy. It was done by design.”
“The Senate again acted swiftly and decisively to close the books and pass the closeout supplemental budget for fiscal year 2023,” said Senate Ways and Means chair Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport). “With $250 million in emergency funding, we met the challenge of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis head-on. We also allocated $378 million to fully fund over 90 collective bargaining agreements for state workers, absolved a $100 million pension liability from the 2015 Early Retirement Incentive Program and dedicated substantial funding to special education and disaster relief for municipalities across the commomwealth.”
“Massachusetts taxpayers deserved a [rollcall] vote and transparency on this controversial spending bill,” said Paul Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “Statehouse leadership routinely use procedural loopholes to pass controversial items outside of good legislative practices. “It’s refreshing to see some lawmakers try to change that. Let’s hope this sets a precedent for good government practices over backroom deals.”