Wednesday, January 22, 2020

GOVERNOR BAKER’S FY21 BUDGET PROPOSAL

Today Governor Baker released his budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2021, House 2. You can read this document online at https://budget.digital.mass.gov/govbudget/fy21/.  Below is my statement about the budget.

SENATOR BRUCE TARR’S STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR BAKER’S FY21 BUDGET PROPOSAL

Boston- Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today regarding Governor Baker’s $44.6 billion budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2021 State Budget:
“Governor Baker’s proposed budget identifies some of our state’s most important priorities and proposes major action steps to address them, including;
• Record high levels of investment in public education,
• Safety and infrastructure improvements for our transportation systems,
• Commitments to health and wellness efforts, including substance misuse treatment and prevention and health care cost containment,
• Contributions to the state’s Stabilization Fund that will bring it to record high levels,
• A commitment of resources to rigorously limit greenhouse gas pollution,
• Accelerating workforce training programs through increased access to trade and technical skills programing,
• Financial support for municipalities.

House 2 contains no broad-based tax increases and is the first budget in decades that incorporates a return to a 5% income tax rate that voters mandated in a November 2000 ballot initiative.

Importantly, the budget’s $303.5 million increase in ‘Chapter 70’ education spending funds the implementation of the first year of the recently adopted education reform bill, and sets the stage for sustainably implementing all it its provisions.

Members of the Senate Republicans Caucus are committed to working with the Baker-Polito Administration and our legislative colleagues in the House and Senate in the days ahead to build on Governor Baker’s House 2 proposal.”