In January, the Governor released his budget proposal for FY 2014, laying out his priorities for what we will do together as a Commonwealth in the coming year. This week, the House Ways & Means Committee did the same.
Although the House Ways & Means budget does include some new funding for Higher Education, Transportation, and Local Aid, it is significantly less than the Governor had proposed. The Governor’s budget raises much more new revenue—both for FY 2014 and beyond—which would support larger investments to address the long-term needs of our communities and our state economy.</p.
Most starkly, while the Governor’s plan would have invested $130 million to help expand access to high-quality Early Education & Care, the House Ways & Means budget actually cuts funding for Early Education & Care programs—leaving in place a long and growing waiting list for eligible families.
Another area that would see significant cuts under the House Ways & Means budget is Youth Employment. These programs that help young people find jobs and build careers would lose over 50% of their funding from last year.
Our new Budget Monitor describes how the proposal would affect core programs, from Health Care and Education to Youth Employment and the Environment—including information on how it would raise the necessary revenue. It also compares the new plan with prior years and the Governor’s January proposal.
Read more in our BUDGET MONITOR
