Will Brownsberger -- State Representative, Democrat, 24th Middlesex District

The House-Senate conference committee report on the budget is now available online. This post provides local aid numbers. The budget is now final, subject only to veto by the Governor.

Final passage of a landmark transportation reform bill, with a bipartisan vote of 130 to 25 in the  House today, signals an end to decades of costly balkanization of our transportation infrastructure.  I voted in favor –  nothing so controversial and complex can be perfect, but it is a very good bill. 

I’ve been hearing recently from dozens of people who are concerned about possible cuts in valuable state programs.  I’ve also heard from many who are concerned about possible tax increases.

Many have been in touch with me regarding a large cut to state funding for the Boston Medical Center. I have researched this issue and communicated concern to legislators involved in the negotiations (which relate to a supplemental budget, not the FY2010 budget).

The final Senate budget is based on a lower revenue estimate than the House budget and includes lower numbers for local aid and many other critical programs.

The just-released Senate budget draft is based on tax revenue estimates of $18.0 billion, down over $1.5 billion from the estimates used by the Governor and the House budgeteers. As a result, it includes cuts in local aid and other key programs.

Table of the actions taken by the House on particular line items that I have been contacted about by constituents. For local aid issues, the Quinn Bill and employee health contributions, please dedicated posts on those issues.

Like roughly 80% of Massachusetts workers, public employees receive health insurance as part of their compensation.   The issue of how much active employees should contribute to the cost of that insurance has been controversial in every recent budget season.    Since the cost of public employee health insurance is just under $1 billion, the employee share [...]

Perhaps the main things to underline at this stage are: (a) nothing at all is settled yet about the budget, reform or revenue; (b) all the major players endorse the principle of reform before revenue and are trying to do the right thing.

I have been contacted by a number of folks about the Quinn bill — the police education incentive — on both sides of the issue.  Today the House voted to compromise and to fund the incentive, but at a reduced state contribution level.  I supported the compromise.

The House just voted it’s local aid resolution.  Based on the sales tax vote taken yesterday, the House was able to allocate an additional $205 million to local aid.   See figures here for Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge.

Even with the sales tax increase, the budget will sustain deep cuts and Massachusetts will have a roughly average tax burden compared to other states. The increase will fund local aid, Big Dig debt and limited restorations of key programs.

Pension reform is probably the most fundamental and controversial among the reforms on the agenda this year.  Now seated on the Public Service Committee, I expect to give this area quite a bit of my own attention.

Our mantra in the legislature this spring is “Reform before Revenue.”

The House Ways and Means Committee released its budget today (4/15/2009).  The Committee made deep cuts in many state services, but only relatively modest additional cuts in local aid.  

The Governor’s announcement today of an allocation of stimulus funds for
education was good news for Belmont and Arlington (not for Cambridge).

Letter to Charlie Murphy, the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, outlining my state budget priorities.

I have decided to co-sponsor a controversial health care cost control bill
authored by the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

Education funding is a top personal priority for me. But there are deep questions about how we should deliver education and what the goals of education should be.

Governor Patrick just delivered a pre-release to legislators of his 2010 local aid numbers. The Governor’s budget for 2010 keeps Chapter 70 level.