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Weekly Roundup
| May 27th, 2010
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Greetings! In case you haven't stopped by lately, it's definitely an exciting time to be around the State House! ![Students Rally at State House [Boston Globe]](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs037/1101662827233/img/257.png?a=1103438121986) As the Senate debates their version of the budget, folks from across the state are raising their voices. From firefighters fighting local aid cuts to community members crying out to protect legal immigrants' right to affordable health care, groups of active citizens are holding rallies and marching the halls, meeting with their local senators. Many are calling not only to preserve their own programs, but for a more balanced, stable way to fund all that is important in our state and its many communities.  If you have a story on how your organization or community is fighting to support our communities, and would like to share it with our friends and neighbors - please contact me today! Project Director, ONE Massachusetts
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE:
Civic Engagement | Revenue | Government Reform
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 REVENUE | Goal: By 2013, a fair, adequate, and stable tax system will be implemented. It will raise sufficient revenue so that state and local governments can fund the array of services needed.
UPDATES: - FY11 BUDGET: Senate Ways and Means Analysis. The Senate Ways & Means (SWM) budget proposal addresses a budget gap
of close to $3 billion by recommending significant budget cuts and
relying heavily on assistance from the federal government. It does not
include the Governor's tax reform proposals, or other new taxes. Also
unlike the Governor's proposal, it does not draw on the state "Rainy
Day" fund. It does, however, rely on some other temporary state revenue
sources and some one-time savings. [More: MassBudget]
 FY11 BUDGET: Dental Benefits Cut. The fiscal 2011 state budget, as proposed by the Patrick administration and passed by the state House of Representatives, eliminates adult coverage for all dental restorative benefits [crowns, dentures, root canals, treatment for gum disease and cavity fillings], leaving intact only the preventative coverage, such as exams, cleanings, X-rays and extractions... There is a proposed amendment that would restore the $56 million in funding for the dental benefits. [More: Berkshire Eagle]
- FY11 BUDGET: Fees for State and County Inmates. Prisoner advocates rallied in front of the State House yesterday, urging lawmakers to reject amendments to the state budget that would require inmates of county jails or state prisons to pay a raft of new fees, including $5 a day to subsidize the cost of their confinement. Advocates argued that the proposed fees, which have passed in the House, would place a heavier burden on already impoverished inmates and their families, many of whom send money to prison to pay for toiletries. They also said the proposed fees could lead to increased crime, as some indebted inmates may feel the need to commit new crimes to repay their prison debt... Supporters of the legislation say it would help cash-strapped county and state prisons, as well as promote greater responsibility for inmates. [More: Boston Globe]
- PROP 2 1/2: States Learn From Mass Study. Proposition 2.5 has succeeded in restraining growth of property-tax collections, total tax collections, and per-pupil education spending in Massachusetts... Despite spending far less per pupil than New Jersey ($12,857 versus $16,163 in 2007), Massachusetts students in almost all demographics achieved better results than their Jersey counterparts... The Massachusetts cap offers an advantage over Proposition 13 in California, giving Massachusetts citizens the right to override it and spend what they want if they vote to do so. That may make the Massachusetts model more attractive for blue states with budget woes. [More: Wall Street Journal]
 HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGETS: Upcoming Fee Hikes. Students at most of Massachusetts' state and community colleges are
facing fee increases for the next academic year as the schools deal with
budget cuts and a reduction in federal stimulus aid. [More: Boston Globe]
- SALES TAX: Upcoming Ballot Questions. It's the fiscal elephant in the room, a ballot question that would cut the Massachusetts sales tax rate by more than half, and none of the state's top political leaders has come up with a plan to deal with it if it passes. That includes the major candidates for governor, all of whom say they oppose the initiative to reduce the sales tax rate from 6.25 to 3 percent, a move that would cost the state up to $2.4 billion in annual revenue beginning Jan. 1. [More: SouthCoast Today]
- LOCAL OPTIONS TAXES: Meals Tax Adoption Steadily Climbs. As of May 26, 103 of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts have adopted the .75 percent local option meals tax... Some $11.3 million has already been returned to cities and towns who have approved the local option and been in the program long enough to receive a quarterly revenue distribution. [More: Mass.gov]
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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
| | Goal: By 2013, the voice and input of the state's multi-racial, multi-ethnic communities will create a counterweight to the currently dominant voice and will be tangibly reflected in the public decision making process.
UPDATES:
CORI advocates rally at the State House ![CORI Advocates Rally [openmediaboston.org]](http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm215/openmediaboston/CORI%20March/cori1-1.jpg) | CORI REFORM ADVOCACY: Communities Speak Up About Records, Efforts Pay Off in Landslide House Vote. ONE Massachusetts Leadership Team Member Lew Finfer has been working with community organizations across the state to push for CORI coverage in state and local press and reform in the legislature. "We know we're all working hard again today as the vote on the bill draws near, stepping up that mountain towards justice for our goals - giving people real opportunities in their lives." Those efforts lead to a recent Globe article about how CORI Records affect real people:
Changes to a state law that allows employers and landlords access to people's criminal records have been debated in the Legislature for years. Critics say the law has made the path to a law-abiding life more difficult for offenders, creating roadblocks to employment and housing. Supporters say the law gives employers crucial information to evaluate prospective hires and screen potentially dangerous ones. [More: Boston Globe]
Moments after the bill passed, on a 138 to 17 vote, a throng of former offenders and activists who had been watching from the House gallery spilled into the halls of the State House, cheering and chanting. The bill was a priority for many of Boston's ministers and others who work to reintegrate former offenders into society. [More: Boston Globe]
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GOVERNMENT REFORM
| | GOAL: By 2013, a transparent, accessible and accountable state and local policy-making process will be in place.
UPDATES:
 PROBATION REFORM: Senator Creem Proposes Task Force. "The current probation system, which oversees the supervision of tens of thousands of criminal offenders, is broken. Collectively, reviews of the agency paint a picture of lack of oversight and accountability, and runaway budgets that are completely out of proportion to probation caseloads. Too much money is being spent on the department; too many hires are being made for reasons other than qualifications; and the trial courts and probation are not working together as they should." [More: Newton Tab]
- TRANSPARENCY: Budget Amendments Passed!! Transparency advocates praised last night's vote by the Massachusetts Senate approving two reforms which will set a new standard for government transparency and accountability. With unanimous votes during its budget debate, the Senate created a searchable new state budget website, making transparent much of state spending and revenue sources for all state agencies, including quasi publics. The website will allow the public, including local officials, businesses, lawmakers, citizens, and others to see where the state is investing our tax dollars.
"These new rules will go a long way toward rebuilding the public's confidence in government," said Yawu Miller, Project Director for One Massachusetts. "People need to be able to see that revenues are being raised in a manner that's fair and that public resources are being spent in a manner that's wise."
- TRANSPARENCY: Rep Lewis - Open Government is Better Government. "One of the fundamental tenets of democracy is that citizens should have
visibility into the actions and decisions of their elected
representatives. In particular, enabling citizens to see how their
taxpayer dollars are spent bolsters public confidence in government,
promotes fiscal accountability, and acts as a check on corruption." [More: Winchester Star]
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