State House Spotlight: budget prep and policy priorities
BOSTON (WWLP) – State officials continued to push out policy dealing with spending taxpayer dollars this week and worked to establish session priorities.
Early this week, the Senate unveiled its fiscal year 2026 budget plan, and the Senate also passed a $1.3 billion supplemental budget using millionaire's tax collections to fund regional transportation.
'Robust public transportation in Fitchburg and Southbridge, and Springfield means a possibility of more housing production and easing density in Boston,' said Senator Robyn Kennedy during the supplemental budget debate.
The Healey Administration announced a set of policy initiatives to make Massachusetts better for older adults. Their priorities include dementia-friendly policies and ensuring older adults can age in their own homes.
'Aging in place is a heck of a lot better than needing any alternative, I know, so it's important for us to do the work and make sure everyone sees themselves through this effort,' Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said at the announcement.
The commission on combating antisemitism held a hearing focusing on increasing hate crimes, and a western Massachusetts senator expressed his commitment to fighting back.
'This special commission will not hesitate to follow and confront antisemitism wherever it rears its vile and repugnant head, whether it's from the left or the right,' Westfield Senator John Velis said.
This commission meeting comes in the same week as the state announces a partnership with an Israeli medical innovation center.
Attention at the State House will soon turn to Senate budget debate, as the final budget deadline looms in July.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
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- The Hill
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