Here’s a little roundup of the Senate’s budget:
Here’s the Senate’s executive summary, and here’s the general site.
Health Care for All’s reaction:
The budget includes strong provisions on health access. Health reform is fully funded, and there are no cuts to MassHealth or other health programs. SWM Chair Steven Panagiotakos emphasized the Senate?s commitment to the success of health reform, and to continued public investments in health coverage and public health.
…We will be working with Senators on a number of amendments, including restoring the prescription drug safety net and funding for the Office of Oral Health. Stay tuned.
Globe article from today:
The Senate Ways and Means Committee’s budget, which will be debated by the full chamber next week, provides additional support for Patrick’s proposals to expand all-day kindergarten, hire new police officers and introduce new children’s vaccinations, the sources said yesterday.
Says Governor’s not going to get all his cops. That wouldn’t surprise me at all. My guess is he’ll get some token number, not a lot.
Update: I knew I was forgetting something: The Mass. Budget and Policy Center’s preliminary write-up notes somewhat more overlap with the governor’s priorities than the House, and starts to tackle retiree’s health benefits with a new tobacco-money trust fund.
The Senate is still drawing more $ from the rainy day fund than the Gov’s budget, though not as much as the House. MBPC gives this warning:
By operating with structural deficits when the economy is not in recession, a state risks eating away at reserves that will likely be urgently needed during the next recession. Not having adequate reserves when a recession begins can force policies that are damaging to the people of the state and to the state economy.
Yes. It strikes me that spending uncertainty has caused a good deal of grief since the tech bubble burst.
Again, at least in the budget itself, the governor’s comes off as the most fiscally conservative of the three documents. Eisenthal thinks the Senate will add $100 million more in floor amendments, too.
I am awaiting the reaction from the Administration…..any critisism about the non-use of loophole revenue, the use of one time revenue, the EARMARKS!!!
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The whole Senate budget is loaded with them…just look at the workforce development grants (7003-0702) Tons of earmarks…..I am sure that this will not go over well in the Corner Office…
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I actually like some of the earmarks, so I won’t complain.
Charted here
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With the press release here
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The press release is cautious, but the graph shows revenues above the target range from January through April. But the YTD totals did seem to moderate in April, and withholding was down in April compared with March.
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This is the first year I’ve watched Mass revenues closely month to month. The graph certainly suggests revenues exceeding forecasts. But the text this month is quite cautious, perhaps corresponding to the change of trend on withholding in April.
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The balance sheet for March did show revenues from Jan 2007 projection improved by $170 million, while April shows that figure as $54 million. That, as much as anything, could explain why the Senate has come in lower than the legislature.