Connect with us

Massachusetts

Procedural war over controversial budget bill continues Friday on Beacon Hill

Published

on

Procedural war over controversial budget bill continues Friday on Beacon Hill


A procedural war over a budget bill that includes critical funding for union contracts and the state’s ability to respond to an influx of migrants continued Friday as Massachusetts Republicans pledged to keep up their blockade.

Democratic leadership in the House and Senate released a compromise version of a nearly $3.1 billion supplemental budget Thursday that included $250 million for Massachusetts’ struggling shelter system and nearly $400 million for 95 union contracts.

But Republicans, who had voiced concerns with the shelter aid for weeks, blocked the advancing agreement after attempting to move consideration of the bill from an informal session — where any one lawmaker can object to a proposal — to a formal session, where legislators can debate and take recorded votes.

After a private meeting Friday afternoon with other House Republicans, House Minority Leader Brad Jones said he believed minority party members would continue to object to the supplemental budget if Democrats attempted to push the full proposal through.

Advertisement

“We’re having continuing conversations with the caucus about all the different considerations, the contracts that have been, were held captive by this ridiculous process as well as having a discussion with the comptroller, and realizing what’s the fine point of, as I billed it, responsible opposition versus irresponsible obstructionism. I don’t know that we’re at that point yet,” he said. “I’m sure the speaker would say we’re past that point.”

House Speaker Ronald Mariano criticized Republicans Thursday night after they blocked the supplemental budget from advancing.

“It’s incredibly disappointing that House Republicans are blocking the passage of the supplemental budget,” he said in a statement. “This bill includes $3 billion worth of critical funding for state employee raises and for a number of other pressing issues. Despite that, House Republicans are willing to jeopardize the entire package over $250 million that will be used to provide shelter for all vulnerable families in Massachusetts.”

The budget agreement hashed out by Ways and Means Chairs Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues includes a provision requiring the Healey administration to use $50 million of the migrant aid to set up an overflow site for families placed on a waitlist for shelter placement.

The union contract funding affects pay raises for tens of thousands of public sector workers just as the winter holidays are approaching. Union members pushed Beacon Hill lawmakers late last month to advance those dollars quickly.

Advertisement

The budget bill also features $15 million in disaster relief for communities hit hard by extreme weather events, $10 million for resettlement agencies to support immigrants and refugees, and $60 million to support caseworkers and staff at the Department of Transitional Assistance dealing with an increased volume of people looking for benefits.

If the supplemental budget manages to make it through the House, it still will need to clear the Senate, where Republicans have also expressed discontent with the proposal.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said GOP members of both branches offered a “very clear” path forward by pushing to move consideration of the budget into formal sessions.

“I think you have to ask yourself the question, you should be asking others the question, these are priorities, to be able to advance some of these things, the union contracts, certainly the disaster relief,” he told the Herald Thursday night as he left the State House. “And if they’re a priority for all of us, then why would we not agree to have debate and take roll calls? What is the reason we wouldn’t do that?”

Both the House and Senate gaveled in around 11 a.m. Friday and quickly moved into extended recesses, where they remained just after 1 p.m. Senate Republicans huddled privately at 11 a.m. to discuss strategy and suggested they might do so again later in the day if necessary.

Advertisement

This is a developing story…



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Massachusetts

‘Oh, God! Oh, God!’: Massachusetts couple frightened by huge shark by their boat (WATCH)

Published

on

‘Oh, God! Oh, God!’: Massachusetts couple frightened by huge shark by their boat (WATCH)


A Massachusetts couple, out boating, were startled and frightened by a 20-foot shark this week.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

One started videotaping the experience, while the shark came close to the boat.

“Oh, God!, Oh God!” the woman said.

Advertisement

The main responded, “Wow!”

Because the fish was so big, the woman, at first, thought it was a whale, but the man said, “No, that is a shark.”

“That is a shark like I’ve never seen,” said the woman after realizing it was indeed a shark.

The shark swam toward the boat, before the video ends.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Gov. Healey’s southern border trip cost taxpayers $6,800, according to new data

Published

on

Gov. Healey’s southern border trip cost taxpayers $6,800, according to new data


The Healey administration shelled out more than $6,800 to send a five-person team to the southern border in Texas to “educate” people of a shelter shortage here, according to her office.

The trip was pitched as another attempt to curtail the number of migrants arriving in Massachusetts and make connections with federal immigration officials who were dealing with a surge in border crossings down south.

A spokesperson for the governor said Friday the group spent a total of $6,804 on the four-day trip this week, including $2,028 on hotels, $3,903 on flights, and $872 on ground transportation.

Scott Rice, a retired National Guard general who oversees the state-run shelter system, said the trip was an “important opportunity to meet with families arriving in the U.S. and the organizations that work with them at the border to make sure they have accurate information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts.”

Advertisement

“It is essential that we get the word out that our shelters are full so that families can plan accordingly to make sure they have a safe place to go,” he said in a statement earlier this week.

The group visited locations in San Antonio, McAllen, Hidalgo, and Brownsville, the most common points of entry for migrant families that later arrive in Massachusetts, according to the Healey administration.

Healey said earlier this week that the trip was “successful” even as conservatives criticized the move as a “publicity stunt.”

“We don’t have housing available right now, and we wanted to be really clear. It’s something I’ve been saying for a long time, but I think it was important that we be able to communicate directly with folks on the ground,” she said. “I think it’s successful. I think it’s important that we be out there with that message.”

Details on how much the trip cost were released only hours after Gov. Maura Healey banned migrants from sleeping at Logan Airport, where large groups have gathered for months to stay overnight.

Advertisement

The directive takes effect July 9 and the state plans to offer people at the airport transportation to overflow shelter sites, including one that opened this week at a former prison in Norfolk.

Healey did not say if police would arrest those that violate the order.

“We’re going to take it as it comes. My hope is through the work that we’re doing and the extensive communication that we’re doing right now with folks, not just at the border, but folks who are in our service provider community, that we’re going to get people relocated,” she said Friday, “and also be clear to people who might think about coming here that this really is an option.”



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Massachusetts gas prices fell from last week: See how much here

Published

on

Massachusetts gas prices fell from last week: See how much here


Massachusetts gas prices fell for the second consecutive week and reached an average of $3.40 per gallon of regular fuel on Monday, down from last week’s price of $3.44 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The average fuel price in the state has fallen about 11 cents since last month. According to the EIA, gas prices across the state in the last year have been as low as $3.07 on Jan. 29 and as high as $3.76 on Aug. 7, 2023.

A year ago, the average gas price in Massachusetts was 3% higher at $3.51 per gallon.

Advertisement

>> INTERACTIVE: See how your area’s gas prices have changed over the years at data.capecodtimes.com.

The average gas price in the United States last week was $3.44, making prices in the state about 1% lower than the nation’s average. The average national gas price is up from last week’s average of $3.44 per gallon.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending