‘Affordability crisis': House budget won't raise taxes on Bay Staters, Mariano says
House Speaker Ron Mariano said Thursday that the House's fiscal year 2026 budget will not raise taxes or fees on residents or businesses in Massachusetts, and that his chamber will focus on the state's 'affordability crisis' this session including with a new emphasis on how policy impacts energy costs.
Mariano promised at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event Thursday morning that the House Ways and Means budget proposal, expected next week, will 'continue to fund free school meals for all public school students in Massachusetts, along with another year of meeting our commitment towards the full implementation of the Student Opportunity Act.'
There has been uncertainty about whether the state would be able to continue to pay for the school meals program, as it is subsidized by federal funds, which may be affected by President Donald Trump's large-scale cuts.
The speaker railed against Trump in his speech, heightening rhetoric about the president as budget-writers have tried to craft a spending plan while dealing with changing news from Washington D.C. every day. Trump's second term has had a strong emphasis on cutting federal spending and workforce levels, part of an effort his White House says is focused on reducing government waste and fraud.
'When I spoke with you all last year, President Biden was still in office, which meant that Massachusetts had a reliable partner at the federal level. On January 20th though, we lost that partner, and now as much as $15 billion for Massachusetts could be in jeopardy,' he said.
Mariano said Trump has 'decimated' institutions such as the Department of Education, 'is wreaking havoc on programs that millions of vulnerable Americans rely on,' and has 'worked to exact revenge on his political opponents.'
The speaker said the president's executive order targeting offshore wind 'could also put the commonwealth's ever-important climate goals out of reach.'
Still, he said the House wouldn't be 'distracted' by the president and federal level.
The House will vote to establish an internal procedure to better predict the impact that future policy decisions will have on energy costs, he said, as well as take up legislation aimed to bolster access to early college programming for Bay State students.
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