Spending on Massachusetts' subsidized Commonwealth Care health insurance program is expected to remain level next year even as enrollment could grow by 11 percent. Gov. Deval Patrick's administration officials said the savings come because a number of the managed care organizations that provide coverage in the program submitted bids for next year significantly lower than their current rates. April 13, 2011 - Boston Herald    

Massachusetts House leaders unveiled a $30.4 billion budget for the 2012 fiscal year Wednesday, sparking a backlash from police and fire unions that said the proposal would strip them of key collective bargaining rights. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Brian Dempsey said the House budget spends $94 million less than Gov. Deval Patrick's budget, even as it agrees with Patrick's proposal to cut $65 million in local aid and withdraw $200 million from the state's rainy day fund. April 13 - Boston Globe    

Union leaders are bristling at a Massachusetts House budget proposal they say would undermine their collective bargaining rights over municipal health insurance plans. The House budget would let cities and towns make changes in co-payments, deductibles and other aspects of health care plans without approval from unions. Municipalities would also be allowed to transfer their employees into the health care plan for state employees if it would achieve a greater cost savings. April 13 - Boston Globe    

Two college towns south of Boston [Easton and Bridgewater] say they're fed up with providing municipal services to help educational institutions in their communities without getting substantial tax payments in return. April 10 - Boston Globe    

The Senate on Thursday approved an order requiring its budget committee to file a local aid resolution by next Wednesday, with key senators predicting a vote on the resolution next Thursday... That bill will establish proposed floors on an array of local aid accounts, although the committee budget will be subject to amendment during floor debate later this month. April 8 - Wicked Local Rockport    

An already-reduced program of health coverage for legal immigrants would be eliminated under the budget proposal offered by the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, forcing 19,000 residents out of their health insurance plans and providing a $50 million savings for budget writers. The proposal was met immediately by outraged advocates for immigrants, who worried that those removed from health care plans are more likely to end up seeking costlier emergency room care. April 13 Chelmsford Independent   

Members of a state commission are eying water use charges, property tax increases, and fees on boating and development as potential sources of new revenue to address decaying water and sewer infrastructure across Massachusetts. While no final recommendations have been made, Water Infrastructure Finance Commission members who met Tuesday in the Senate Reading Room also discussed the possibility of new taxes on fertilizers, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. April 13 - Wicked Local Rockport

Gov. Deval Patrick and Massachusetts House leaders are divided on the best way to cut spending on the public defender program. Both agree the state is spending too much to hire more costly private attorneys to help represent defendants who are too poor to hire their own lawyers. Patrick wants to hire 1,000 new salaried public defenders, a move he said would save $45 million annually. April 13 - Boston Herald

The state will pay for an official to help turn around the city school system that in some ways is the worst statewide, education commissioner Mitchell D. Chester and other officials said in a meeting here Monday... The state has determined that Dean's problems are so deep and persistent - in terms of student test scores, attendance and truancy - the city must hire a private company, known as an education management organization, to run the school. The city is advertising for such companies. April 11 - Mass Live