Ways and Means to gather budget feedback through April 8
BOSTON (SHNS) – The Joint Committee on Ways and Means will hold seven hearings over the next month on the fiscal year 2026 budget, after kicking off the series of budget hearings earlier this week.
Gov. Maura Healey, Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz, and constitutional officers offered testimony at the first hearing at the State House on Thursday.
The next hearing, Monday in Gloucester, will cover topics related to economic development, housing and labor. The third week in March won't have any hearings.
During the last week of the month, committee members will travel to three communities to hear testimony on different areas of the budget. On Monday, March 24th, they'll be in Amherst to hear about education and local aid; the next day lawmakers will be in Worcester to ask questions about health and human services, and on Friday they'll travel to Clinton to hear about public safety and the judiciary.
Monday, March 31st's hearing is on the environment, energy and transportation in Barnstable. In Attleboro on Tuesday, April 1st, the committee will hear from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services on more health-related matters.
All but the final hearing will feature testimony by invite only and will largely feature elected and appointed officials, according to House Ways and Means.
A hearing at which anyone from the public can testify will be held Tuesday, April 8, at the State House. Once that hearing notice is posted on the Legislature's website next week, the committee said, details on how the public can submit written testimony to the committee will become available.
The House Ways and Means budget is targeted for release the week of April 14, with budget debate in the House the week of April 28.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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