Latest news with #majority-Democrat
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The piece of the Mass. budget that passes all understanding
If there's one thing that's true about politics, it's that voters rarely care about how legislation gets done as long as it gets done in a relatively timely fashion, doesn't cost the Earth and manages to make their little corner of creation a tiny bit better. That's particularly true during budget season on Beacon Hill, which has now officially entered that precarious stage where, if things are going to go wrong, they are going to go wrong in the most gloriously spectacular way possible. Here's why: The competing $61 billion-ish budget plans approved by the majority-Democrat state House and state Senate, respectively, along with the $62 billion iteration offered by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, all increase state spending from the year before. The $61.5 billion budget the Senate approved last week, for instance, comes in $70.3 million less than the budget approved by the House, and $568.1 million less than the spending plan that Healey sent to lawmakers earlier this year. Senate lawmakers nonetheless ladled on $81.1 million in new spending before they took their vote, according to an analysis by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. Senate lawmakers also set up difficult policy fights with the House on liquor license and vocational school reform and health care matters, Axios Boston noted. Thus, there is a high likelihood that things could go screaming off the rails. Then there's this. The Senate plunged forward with its version of the fiscal blueprint for the new fiscal year that starts July 1 by assuming that the $16 billion in federal funding that provides the undercarriage for their budget plan is still going to be there for them. Ditto for the House and Healey. That's despite some deeply ominous sabre-rattling from Washington. Though Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Michael Rodriques, D-1st Bristol/Plymouth, has warned 'all bets are off' if Congress moves ahead, as expected, with deep cuts to Medicaid. At first glance, this is kind of like splashing out for that lease on the Rolls-Royce, expecting you'll have the cash to cover it, and then hoping for the best if you don't. The pro-business Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance was decidedly not amused by that tactic, also noting that senators added tens of millions of new spending, even as they sounded the alarm about 'uncertainty' from Washington, D.C. And spending will likely grow even more once the House and Senate cut a deal on the final budget sometime later next month or early July, the think-tank observed. 'There's simply no credibility left for lawmakers who talk about fiscal uncertainty while voting for the largest budget in state history,' Paul D. Craney, the group's spokesperson, said in a statement. If lawmakers were 'serious about economic uncertainty, they would have tightened the belt, not let it out,' Craney continued. He's not wrong. Just this week, Healey and Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey were in Revere sounding the alarm about looming GOP cuts to Medicaid on Capitol Hill. Read More: A 'historic battle': Mass pols protest Medicaid cuts in 'Big Beautiful Bill' | John L. Micek Michael Curry, the president & CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, has warned that MassHealth, as Medicaid is known in the Bay State, bluntly said the program would be 'unsustainable without the federal partnership, the federal funds.' That's about as clear a warning shot as lawmakers are going to get. MassHealth is among the biggest fixed costs in the state budget. And federal cuts will mean higher costs and a strain on the state's health care system, Curry told Commonwealth Beacon last week. Still, the Legislature — as a public institution — has a flexibility that private employers and families balancing their checkbooks don't have, Jerold Duquette, a Central Connecticut State University political science professor who tracks Bay State politics, said. And that's the ability to pass supplemental budgets and access the state's multi-billion dollar Rainy Day Fund — even if top budget writers have said the latter option is currently off the table. So while planning a budget where a large chunk of funding may disappear seems irrational, 'what they are doing is rational,' Duquette said 'The reason we think it's irrational is because they're politicians,' Duquette said. 'Why would you make the assumption that you're going to lose an effort to keep the money? This is not kicking the can. It's the exactly rational thing to do.' Lawmakers have until midnight on June 30 to get a deal on a new budget. They haven't hit that deadline in years, though Rodriques repeatedly has told reporters that he's optimistic that they will this year. It requires the same kind of suspension of disbelief that Duquette's analysis demands. But if Beacon Hill is anything, it's stubbornly rational in its irrationality. So who knows? A 'historic battle': Mass pols protest Medicaid cuts in 'Big Beautiful Bill' | John L. Micek Mass. Rep. Trahan's 'Les Miz' moment on Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' | Bay State Briefing Mass. budget debate points to a subtle but seismic shift on Beacon Hill | John L. Micek Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. Senate passes dramatic liquor license overhaul. Will the House pass it?
The Massachusetts Senate has approved a proposal that could dramatically overhaul the way the state awards liquor licenses — a coveted and pricey document that's make-or-break for restaurants and bars. But it still has to clear the state's House of Representatives, where its fate is far from assured. The majority-Democrat chamber tucked the language, sponsored by Sen. Jacob Oliveira, D-Hampden/Hampshire/Worcester, into the $61.4 billion budget plan for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. The Senate has spent this week racing through hundreds of amendments to the fiscal blueprint. By the time the dust settled on Thursday night, upper chamber lawmakers had added $81.1 million to the spending plan, according to State House News Service. Later that same day, the chamber voted 38-2 to approve the entire document and send it to the House, setting the stage for the inevitable negotiations to reconcile the differences between the two chambers' spending proposals. Read More: Mass. Senate eyes dramatic liquor license overhaul, but long road remains As it's currently written, Oliveira's amendment would give more power to the state's Alcohol Beverage Control Commission to approve petitions for licenses, an authority that now rests with the Legislature and the governor, the Pioneer Valley lawmaker told reporters on Wednesday morning. 'Our current process was born out of the process of the repeal of prohibition with the 21st Amendment nearly 100 years ago,' he said. 'Certainly, our economy has changed since then. We have vibrant suburban communities and urban communities that have developed over time,' he continued. 'And the process for granting additional liquor licenses can be cumbersome to our cities and towns, requiring them to come to the Legislature, file the legislation, and then bring it to the governor.' If the language survives joint House and Senate negotiations — and that's a big if — the change would 'empower our 351 cities and towns, as well as provide some flexibility to our businesses,' Oliveira told reporters Wednesday. House Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Aaron Michlewitz, D-3rd Suffolk, who could have a big say on whether the language survives budget negotiations, told MassLive earlier this week that he had not seen Oliveira's proposal and could not comment on its specifics. 'We did a piece in our budget that included allowing cities to [do] upgrades for beer and wine to full alcohol, without having to come back to the legislative process, as long as ... those would no longer be transferable. It seems like this sounds different than that. So ... I'd have to see,' he said. One key lawmaker, however, was set to throw up a roadblock. 'In our community, liquor licenses can be great or they can be problematic, and for me to give my community's voice away would be political recklessness on my behalf,' said House Majority Leader Michael Moran, a Democrat from Brighton, told The Boston Globe. Last year, Moran negotiated a bill that gave Boston hundreds of additional liquor licenses, the newspaper reported. 'My residents, the people that I represent, deserve a voice in that process,' Moran, D-18th Suffolk, told the Globe. 'and I have no intention of giving up their voice.' Trump Commerce boss gets put on blast with 'no pain' tariff claim 'Unlawful and unwarranted': Harvard opens 2nd lawsuit against the Trump admin MASS.-ive Impact: What Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' means to you | John L. Micek 'Deeply scary': Legal experts reel over Trump's 'brazen act' against Harvard Travel alert: State Dept. issues terrorism warning at European destination Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. Senate eyes dramatic liquor license overhaul, but long road remains
The Massachusetts Senate was set to vote Wednesday on a proposal that could dramatically overhaul the way the state awards liquor licenses — a coveted and pricey document that's make-or-break for restaurants and bars. But even if it passes, it still has to survive negotiations with the state's House of Representatives. The chamber was set to tuck the language, sponsored by Sen. Jacob Oliveira, D-Hampden/Hampshire/Worcester, into the $61.3 billion budget plan for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. The majority-Democrat chamber has been racing through hundreds of amendments to the new spending blueprint, with a vote on the entire document expected soon. As it's currently written, the amendment would give more power to the state's Alcohol Beverage Control Commission to approve petitions for licenses, an authority that now rests with the Legislature and the governor, the Pioneer Valley lawmaker told reporters on Wednesday morning. 'Our current process was born out of the process of the repeal of prohibition with the 21st Amendment nearly 100 years ago,' he said. 'Certainly, our economy has changed since then. We have vibrant suburban communities and urban communities that have developed over time,' he continued. 'And the process for granting additional liquor licenses can be cumbersome to our cities and towns, requiring them to come to the Legislature, file the legislation, and then bring it to the governor.' If the language survives joint House and Senate negotiations — and that's a big if — the change would 'empower our 351 cities and towns, as well as provide some flexibility to our businesses,' Oliveira said Wednesday. 'With this uncertainty at the federal level, we need to provide that flexibility to our cities, our towns, and to our small businesses. And that's what this amendment is designed to do,' he said. And because this is Massachusetts, the vote came with some of the traditional rivalry between the state House and Senate, both controlled by Democrats. Last week, because of a dust-up over inter-chamber rules, Oliveira was barred from testifying remotely on behalf of his bill. The Western Massachusetts lawmaker just laughed when he was asked Wednesday whether the amendment he was offering was the same as the proposal that hit a parliamentary wall. 'Boy, you have a good memory,' he said with a laugh. 'Yes, it is the same bill I tried to testify on last week, and I'm glad to see that my voice is being heard now.' Oliveira declined to speculate on whether the proposal would make it all the way across the goal line and be part of the budget that eventually lands on Gov. Maura Healey's desk. 'I'm confident that the Senate will act on it today and that we will move it forward. And if we're successful through conference, that's wonderful,' he said. House Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Aaron Michlewitz, D-3rd Suffolk, who could have a big say on whether the language survives budget negotiations, told MassLive that he had not seen Oliveira's proposal and could not comment on its specifics. 'We did a piece in our budget that included allowing cities to [do] upgrades for beer and wine to full alcohol, without having to come back to the legislative process, as long as ... those would no longer be transferable. It seems like this sounds different than that. So ... I'd have to see,' he said. Critics have long complained that the state's current process shuts out minority-owned restaurants and the state's poorer communities. Earlier this year, Boston's licensing board awarded new liquor licenses to 37 bars, restaurants and other establishments. They were among the first to win one of 225 new liquor licenses approved for the city by the Legislature and signed by Healey last year. It represented the largest increase in Boston's liquor license stock since the end of Prohibition over 90 years ago, according to the city. Worcester councilor deposits large donation haul after confronting police at ICE raid Trump ally Elon Musk stepping back from political spending: 'I think I've done enough' Trump's meeting with South African president spirals into false claims Defense Department accepts Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump's use 'Now is the time': Harvard calls for donations amid wave of federal cuts Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. budget debate points to a subtle but seismic shift on Beacon Hill
People talk a lot about inflection points — and it's always in the past tense. You rarely recognize them as they're happening. But if you were paying attention to Beacon Hill this week, you saw one in real-time and in the most unexpected and resolutely anodyne of places: The start of the Massachusetts Senate's annual budget debate. Ready? Here it is, courtesy of Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson Michael Rodrigues, D-1st Bristol/Plymouth. 'Over the course of the last few months, we have witnessed firsthand how our federal partners have unleashed unprecedented amounts of uncertainty, unpredictability and volatility,' the South Coast lawmaker said Monday as the majority-Democrat chamber started debate on a $61.3 billion spending plan for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. 'In past turbulent times, the question we asked ourselves was, 'How much help can we expect from our friends in D.C.?' Yet today, we find ourselves in the unique position of asking, 'How much is D.C. going to hurt us today?'' Rodriques mused, according to State House News Service. The sentiment isn't a new one. Elected and community leaders across the Bay State have been sounding the alarm for months about the impact that diminished federal funding will have on the state's bottom line. And a word about process: The Senate is expected to spend most of the week wading through more than 1,000 amendments to the budget proposal. Senators have been advised of a 'potential' formal session on Thursday as well, the wire service reported As a refresher, Massachusetts gets nearly $23 billion in funding from Washington every year, with around $16 billion of it pumped into the state's operating budget, data show. But spending cuts across the federal government that already have taken place, and those being eyed by Republicans on Capitol Hill — including Medicaid and hunger assistance — are expected to throw states' economies into disarray. And that doesn't even count the hit that nonprofits and colleges and universities, all of them economic players, are taking this year. Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who will have a big say in the final shape of the spending plan that hits her desk, already has announced an executive branch hiring freeze because of the shaky funding picture. Read More: These key public services won't be hit by the state's hiring freeze, Mass. Gov. Healey says One more big tell about the changed political and economic topography? While there's not exactly emphatic Republican agreement about the Democrats' spending priorities, there's a clear-eyed recognition that the state is facing seismic forces this year that it has not seen before. Here's Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr, R-1st Essex/Middlesex: 'I dare say that while every budget is important and while every budget is a challenge, the consequences of our decisions with this budget are perhaps more intense than some of the recent budgets that we've dealt with,' Tarr said Monday during the customary GOP response. The Gloucester lawmaker noted that he and his colleagues had faced uncertain times before, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic, State House News Service reported. But, he allowed, 'we always found a way to move forward to address the uncertainty and those difficult economic times.' That makes it 'imperative that we do so once again,' and while Rodriques pointed to one 'element of uncertainty, there is another element. And that other element deals with the issue of what could be an economic downturn that could have significant consequences for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.' Tarr isn't the only one thinking that way. Jim Rooney, the president and CEO of the influential Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, had the same issues on his mind recently. Massachusetts already was struggling with economic competitiveness and job creation issues before Trump returned to office in January, Rooney told WBZ-TV's 'Keller @Large' program last weekend. 'Now you layer on job-impacting types of federal policies like tariffs, like research funding, like immigration and that was going to be tough anyway,' Rooney said. 'And ... if you look at where our jobs are, [with] high concentrations in life sciences and medicine ... this is right in the gut of the Massachusetts economy,' he continued. Those concerns are further underlined by new research by Mark Williams, a master lecturer in finance at Boston University, concluding that the Republican White House's policies could result in billions of dollars in lost revenue and tens of thousands of job losses as early as next year. That's because, compared to other states, the Bay State's economy 'disproportionately' depends on such sectors as life sciences, higher education, trade and tourism, Williams said. All of those already have been — or will be hit — by Trump's economic policies. Which brings us back to Rodriques and the admittedly limited palette that he and his fellow lawmakers, along with Healey, have to work with this budget season. The Senate's top budget-writer has ruled out dipping into the state's Rainy Day Fund to backfill any lost federal money. Healey has repeatedly said the state doesn't have the cash to do it on its own. And over in the House, which passed its $61.4 billion budget proposal earlier this month, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson Aaron Michlewitz, D-3rd Suffolk, has been similarly circumspect. The fiscal picture could be clarified as the June 30 deadline to approve a new spending plan approaches — and as the two chambers reconcile the differences between the $62 billion budget plan backed by Healey and their respective proposals. Spending cuts appear to be decidedly off the table. Right now, the only certain thing is the budget deadline, and lawmakers routinely blow through that. So it's good to know we can count on at least one thing. From Baker to Ballot: Republican Mike Kennealy makes his pitch for governor | Bay State Briefing Rümeysa Öztürk chose grace over bitterness. What we can learn | John L. Micek 'What About Us?': Native leaders say time's up on broken promises | John L. Micek Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. Gov. Healey announces hiring freeze for executive branch agencies
For the second time in just about a year, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has hit state agencies with a hiring freeze. The freeze announced Wednesday comes in response to what the Democratic administration has described as 'widespread economic uncertainty' at the national level, and a 'tightening budget outlook' at home. The freeze, which is set to take effect May 27, will apply to all executive branch agencies and departments under the administration's control. Those agencies, which range from the Department of Transportation and Correction to Health and Human Services, will be barred from hiring new employees. And there won't be a waiver process, Healey's office said in a statement. There will be exemptions, however, for certain positions, including public safety officers and direct care providers, the administration said. 'The people of Massachusetts expect us to protect and maximize their tax dollars, and that's exactly what we're doing,' Healey said in a statement. 'Tariffs and funding cuts from Washington are causing so much economic damage and instability.' she continued. 'We are taking this step to prepare for more uncertain economic times, protect taxpayer dollars, and move our state forward while ensuring funding will be available for the vital services people need.' Healey and her Democratic allies on Beacon Hill have repeatedly made it clear that the state won't be able to backfill the potential loss of billions of dollars in federal funding targeted by the Trump administration. A more than $61 billion budget plan approved by the majority-Democrat state House, for instance, is premised on $16 billion in federal support. The top Democrat in the state Senate has described the messages coming from Washington as a form of 'whiplash.' 'I think if this keeps up, we'll be all walking around with neck braces,' Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, told MassLive earlier this year. The Ashland Democrat, like Healey and other lawmakers, has since intensified her criticism of the Republican White House amid attacks on Harvard University and its on-again, off-again trade war. A hiring freeze across the executive branch will give the state 'added flexibility in the budget to respond and react to unforeseen program needs and other deficiencies that may arise,' state Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz said. Massachusetts collected $6.8 billion in taxes in April, which was 8.1% more than it collected in April 2024, and $1.1 billion, or 19.5% ahead of its benchmarks, according to state Revenue Department data. Year-to-date collections totaled $36.5 billion, which is $2.6 billion or 7.8% more than actual collections in the same period at this time last year, and nearly $1.9 billion, or 5.5% ahead of projections, that same data show. Still, the state's 'uncertain economic future in the [fiscal 2026 budget year] has been made less predictable by the threat of federal funding cuts and recent market upheaval,' Gorzkowicz continued. 'While we hope for the best, it is both prudent and responsible to be prepared and take control of what we can now.' Healey's office said it would review the hiring freeze once lawmakers pass, and the Democratic signs, a new budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The Senate's top budget-writer said earlier this month that he's hopeful the Legislature will pass a budget by the June 30 deadline. It has been more than a decade since lawmakers have met that obligation. In April 2024, the administration implemented what officials at the time called 'hiring controls' -- not a 'freeze' -- that required Executive Office for Administration and Finance approval of new employees. Those measures expired Nov. 1. Officials said the policies saved about $21 million, according to State House News Service. Read the original article on MassLive.
