By Bob Katzen
The Senate 39-0, approved a $2.3 billion supplemental budget to close out the books on state government for fiscal year 2025. The actual cost to the state will be $795 million after revenue from federal reimbursements has been sent to the state. The House has approved a different version of the supplemental budget and a House-Senate conference committee will eventually hammer out a compromise version.
A key provision provides $2.04 billion for MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program that provides health care for low-income and disabled persons — with a net cost to the state of only $539 million after reimbursements from the federal government.
The bill restores $18.3 million in funding for student financial aid assistance ahead of the spring semester and proactively protects additional support for community college students earning degrees through the MassEducate program. A new Public Higher Education Student Support Fund ensures that a key stipend for books and supplies remains fully funded.
Other provisions include $12 million to support the universal meals program for school children; $12.5 million to cover no-cost phone call communications for incarcerated people; $14 million to aid people in treatment for substance use and alcohol addiction; $18.5 million to support public health hospitals; $5 million for reproductive health care; $60.7 million for snow and ice removal expenses; $75 million for the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund which supports affordable rental housing in the Bay State; creation of an investigation of sheriffs’ fiscal year 2025 spending in response to sharp annual growth in the sheriffs’ spending deficits; and protection for federal workers and Armed Forces service members to prevent them from losing their housing to a residential eviction or foreclosure during the federal government shutdown.
“I’m proud the Senate has taken this opportunity to support our residents and insist on important transparency measures in this closeout supplemental budget,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “We are reconfirming our commitment to public higher education by restoring and protecting key funding to support college students’ success. We are protecting our residents from dangerous federal actions by ensuring they have access to the vaccines they need to keep themselves and their families safe.”
“With uncertainty persisting in the federal government, it is important to demonstrate the state’s fiscal integrity,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “That is why, today, the Senate responsibly closed the books on fiscal year 2025 with a fiscally sound closeout budget that ensures the commonwealth meets its obligations while continuing to support critical programs that serve Massachusetts residents. This budget also establishes fiscal oversight of all county sheriffs’ departments, a necessary step to rein in years of overspending that has significantly escalated in fiscal year 2025.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the budget.)
Sen. Patricia Jehlen Yes