Headed into Senate Budget Week

In the coming week, the Senate will take up the budget for Fiscal 2015. We will vote on amendments proposed to the Senate Ways and Means draft budget and then send the budget to a conference committee to resolve differences with the House budget. This is a year where the major parameters of the budget …

Concerns about the budget for Boston Public Schools

Senator Brownsberger has heard from many concerned parents about budget cuts to certain public schools in Boston.  Budget allocations are, of course, up to the BPS, but he has worked to get more state aid for education. This coming year, some schools are up and some are down, as this statement from the Mayor’s Government Relations Director explains: “BPS …

Senate Passes FY 2014 Supplemental Budget

The Senate on Thursday voted 37-0 to pass a $200.8 million supplemental budget to cover time sensitive deficiencies and unexpected cost increases in FY 2014. This supplemental budget includes funds to address critical needs in the state’s emergency shelter programs, as well as provide additional funds for snow and ice removal.

“This supplemental budget is an important bill-paying exercise which addresses several spending deficiencies and time sensitive policy issues,” said Senator Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I am very pleased that the Senate has passed a bill that makes necessary, mid-year investments while maintaining our disciplined fiscal approach that has served us so well in recent years.”