Mass. Gov. Healey seeks $756 million for ‘time-sensitive deficiencies'
On the eve of a legislative hearing on her surtax surplus plan, Gov. Maura Healey submitted another spending bill for the Legislature's review, filing a $756 million supplemental budget she said would address 'time-sensitive deficiencies' in state government accounts.
The proposal Healey filed Wednesday afternoon (HD 4540) includes $134.5 million for supplemental payments to safety-net hospitals, $60 million for direct care for older adults, $240 million for state employee health care costs through the Group Insurance Commission, and more. It would carry a net state cost of $544 million after federal reimbursements, she said.
Healey's office pitched the $190 million the bill includes for a child care financial assistance program as a way to 'support Massachusetts residents at a time of rising costs.' Another $43 million would go toward the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program that offers aid to families facing potential eviction, which has faced increasing demand during a period of housing strain.
The legislation additionally includes $15 million for grants and marketing related to the American Revolution 250th anniversary celebration, and $15.5 million for more secure electronic benefits transfer cards that Healey said would 'help combat food benefit theft.'
'This budget bill proposes targeted investments that improve quality of life in Massachusetts, such as ensuring access to health care, supporting families with child care costs, and making sure veterans get their benefits,' Healey said in a statement alongside the bill. 'We've also heard clearly from local officials and medical professionals across the state, especially in communities impacted by Steward Health Care's closures, that they need more support. That's why we're proposing significant funding for EMS providers that have faced extraordinary costs. Our administration remains committed to maintaining a responsible state budget that tangibly benefits the people of Massachusetts.'
Other sections of the 25-page bill would ratify collective bargaining agreements with public employees, raise procurement thresholds under public construction laws, and allow Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency vehicles to use red and blue lights when responding to emergencies.
The Legislature's Joint Committee on Ways and Means is partway through a series of hearings about Healey's $62 billion fiscal 2026 state budget, and the panel will meet Thursday to consider Healey's separate $1.3 billion proposal (H 55) to spend surplus surtax revenue.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Guns, voting: Lombardo rejects AB105, 6 other bills to bring total to 56 vetoes
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo on Monday vetoed a bill that would have outlawed carrying a gun at election sites. Assembly Bill 105 (AB105) was a second attempt to keep guns away from polling places, and it met the same fate as a bill (AB354) that Lombardo vetoed two years ago. Seven vetoes on Monday put Lombardo's total at 56, still 19 shy of the record he set in 2023 by rejecting 75 bills passed by the Nevada Legislature. Lombardo reasoned that there are already federal laws against intimidating, threatening or coercing others in ways that interfere with their right to vote. He also cited a state law making it a felony to interfere with the conduct an election. 'The provisions in AB 105 are therefore redundant and do not offer meaningful new protections. Instead, they simply create additional 'gun-free zones,' without clear justification,' Lombardo's veto message said. 16 new vetoes boost Lombardo total to 49; HOA limits, price fixing bill rejected Anti-gun groups criticized the veto and supported Democratic Assembly Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui's efforts against guns. 'Free, fair, and safe elections are a cornerstone of our democracy. In vetoing a bill that bans guns from polling places, Gov. Lombardo puts Nevada communities and Nevada's elections in danger,' according to Kris Brown, president of Brady United. 'The presence of a firearm alone at voting booths can intimidate voters, especially in a country where so many people have experienced the devastating consequences of gun violence. Everyone deserves to safely cast their vote, and this veto will make it harder for Nevadans to exercise that right,' Brown said. Emily Persaud-Zamora, executive director of Silver State Voices, said, 'In our years of experience with conducting an election protection program, voters have repeatedly expressed that feeling safe at the polls is a crucial factor when casting their ballot. While this is unfortunate, this will not deter us from fighting for gun violence prevention and voting rights for Nevada voters.' Lombardo also rejected Senate Bill 156 (SB156), which would have set up a Special Counsel for the Prevention of Gun Violence under the Nevada Attorney General's Office. He argued it politicizes the issue of gun violence because the attorney general is an elected position. Another bill involving elections, SB100, was rejected as an overreach that imposed 'unnecessary state-level control' over local decisions. Democratic State Sen. Skip Daly sponsored the bill, which addressed a new wrinkle in the smooth operation of Nevada elections. Washoe County commissioners had refused to certify election results last year, prompting Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford to file a petition with the Nevada Supreme Court to compel the commission to certify the vote. Daly's bill would have given that authority to the secretary of state. Two commissioners who were holding out eventually voted for certification. A third continued to refuse, but a 4-1 vote ended the matter on July 17. Lombardo's veto message emphasized the portion of SB100 that dealt with the selection of ballot-counting systems. He said local authorities should choose the vendors they use. Other bills vetoed on Monday: AB434, AB589, SB71 and SB428. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Arizona governor vetoes bill to ban teaching antisemitism in Arizona's public schools
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a proposal that would ban teaching antisemitism at the state's public K-12 schools, universities and colleges and expose educators who violate the new rules to discipline and lawsuits. On Tuesday, the Democratic governor said the bill is not about antisemitism but rather about attacking teachers. 'It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits,' she said in a statement. Additionally, it sets a dangerous precedent that unfairly targets public school teachers while shielding private school staff.' The measure cleared the Legislature on Wednesday on a 33-20 vote by the House, including a few Democrats who crossed party lines to support it. It's one of a few proposals to combat antisemitism across the country. The proposal would prohibit teachers and administrators from teaching or promoting antisemitism or antisemitic actions that create a hostile environment, calling for the genocide of any group or requiring students to advocate for an antisemitic point of view. It also would bar public schools from using public money to support the teaching of antisemitism. Educators would personally be responsible for covering the costs of damages in lawsuits for violating the rules. Democrats tried but failed to remove the lawsuit provision and swap out references to antisemitism within the bill with 'unlawful discrimination' to reflect other discrimination. The bill's chief sponsor, Republican Rep. Michael Way, of Queen Creek, has said his proposal would create accountability when educators fail to protect students from the rise in antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Opponents say the bill aims to silence people who want to speak out on the oppression of Palestinians and opens up educators to personal legal liability in lawsuits students could file. Students over the age of 18 and the parents of younger pupils would be able to file lawsuits over violations that create a hostile education environment, leaving teachers responsible for paying any damages that may be awarded, denying them immunity and prohibiting the state from paying any judgments arising from any such lawsuits. The proposal would create a process for punishing those who break the rules. At K-12 schools, a first-offense violation would lead to a reprimand, a suspension of a teacher or principal's certificate for a second offense and a revocation of the certificate for a third offense. At colleges and universities, violators would face a reprimand on first offense, a suspension without pay for a second offense and termination for a third offense. The proposal also would require colleges and universities to consider violations by employees to be a negative factor when making employment or tenure decisions. Under the proposal, universities and colleges couldn't recognize any student organization that invites a guest speaker who incites antisemitism, encourages its members to engage in antisemitism or calls for the genocide of any group. Elsewhere in the U.S., a Louisiana lawmaker is pushing a resolution that asks universities to adopt policies to combat antisemitism on campuses and collect data on antisemitism-related reports and complaints. And a Michigan lawmaker has proposed putting a definition of antisemitism into the state's civil rights law.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick defends THC ban, praises tax relief in Wichita Falls stop
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he thinks he 'knows where his heart is,' referring to Gov. Greg Abbott's pending decision on whether to sign a controversial ban on THC, the psychoactive component of hemp. Patrick stopped short of predicting whether Abbott will sign the bill that passed in the recent legislative session. 'My job is to pass strong legislation for the welfare of the state, and the governor will make those decisions,' the Republican said. Patrick, who shepherded the bill to passage, held a news conference Tuesday at the Wichita Falls Regional Airport. 'The testimony on THC that's sold in our vape and smoke shops around Texas is devastating,' he said. Patrick said 8,000 smoke and vape shops have opened in Texas in the past three years. 'Top put that in comparison, we only have 1,100 McDonald's. They're selling gummies and candy and popcorn and cookies and drinks to young people,' he said. Patrick said the narcotic content of those products is three or four times more potent than the marijuana 'of the old days.' 'They're very dangerous. No one knows what's in these products,' he said. By law, Abbott has until June 22 to sign or veto the bill or allow it to become law without his signature. Patrick said the ban would not impact industrial hemp, such as that processed in the Panda Biotech plant in Wichita Falls. He also said of the 1.25 million acres of farmland in Texas, only 200 acres focus on hemp. Patrick said he stopped in Wichita Falls as part of a swing through rural Texas to tout measures passed in legislative session that ended June 2. He said the Legislature passed the 'biggest property tax cut ever' for school taxes. 'This year we increased the homestead exemption to $200,000 for seniors and $140,000 for those under 65 with homestead exemptions,' he said. He said that means the average homeowner over age 65 will no longer pay school property taxes, and those under 65 will see a reduction of about 50%. He said the state will use its portion of sales tax revenue to make up the difference for schools. Patrick said the state could not afford a total elimination of property taxes as some groups have proposed. He said the Legislature set aside $4 billion for raises for public school teachers, which he said will increase the average teacher salary to $69,000 annually. He said the controversial school choice program that passed, often referred to as school vouchers, does not take money away from public schools. 'We're not taking anything away from public education. We spent more money than ever,' he said. Other laws that passed that Patrick lauded included: Putting the Ten Commandments in every classroom Putting prayer back into schools in the form of private time for prayer if students want it. Putting billions of dollars into water development Putting money into construction of natural gas plants Patrick got into a contentious exchange at the end of the press conference with a woman who demanded to know why a handful of sign-carriers were not allowed into the building. 'This is a wonderful country. Why don't you allow everybody in?' she said. 'They're not journalists. They're not journalism teachers. We only have so much room for so many people,' Patrick said. The exchange lasted several minutes. Afterward, the woman said she was Annette Bever, a communications teacher at Midwestern State University and Vernon College. More: Wichita County signs off project to improve low-income housing More: Wichita Falls' new city manager starts work This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Dan Patrick defends THC ban, praises tax relief at Wichita Falls news conference