ADDP
Mass House 2
House Ways & Means Releases Budget
Family Support & Autism Increased
DDS Residential Needs Additional Funding to Meet State's Chapter 257 Legal Obligation
Brewer Sees Senate Closer to House than Governor
Senator of the Year 2011 Steve Brewer
STATE HOUSE NEWS:

BREWER: "MAIN STRUCTURE" OF TAX BILL LIKELY TO STAY |
With a veto threat making the final outcome a mystery, a House-approved $500 million tax bill is being readied for Senate debate on Thursday as lawmakers try to rush the bill through before breaking for school vacation week.  "We should tee this one up for Thursday," Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) told the News Service after testifying on a local bill at the State House on Tuesday morning.  Asked whether the Senate would change the House bill, given Gov. Deval Patrick's harsh criticism of it as a "pretend fix" to the state's transportation financing shortcomings, Brewer said, "I suspect that the main structure will be similar."  He declined to offer any other details about the Senate's plans for the bill, saying only that it was the subject  of ongoing conversations. 
Amendments Due in by Friday
state budget watch
 
The House Ways and Means Committee released its response to Governor Deval Patrick's House One Budget by proposing a
$33.8 billion state budget for FY 14 which includes a 3.9 percent increase in state spending but reduces $1 billion from the Governor's proposed budget.

ADDP/Arc/MFOFC priorities received some increases, though DDS Residential fell $14 million short of the Governor's request; and Turning 22 fell $4.5 million short of the ADDP/Arc/MFOFC request.

Details include:
  • DDS Day and Employment funded at the Governor's request of $161,873,253
  • DDS Respite and Family support increased by $2 million over the Governor's request coming in at $51,504,298.  Delightful development that will help many families seeking low cost in home therapies and supports.
  • DDS Residential cut by $14 million under the Governor's already underfunded roll out of Chapter 257.  This amount may suggest a later roll out date for Chapter 257, and may complicate the State's compliance for full funding of the rate set by it's Center on Health Care Information (CHIA).  This amount will need to be amended either in the House or Senate or through a summer or fall supplemental budget to keep the state in compliance with Chapter 257.
  • Autism Services increased by $1 million to $5,623,439.  
  • Turning 22 level funded at $6 million, $4.5 million below the ADDP/Arc/MFOFC request.

Over the course of the next few days, ADDP/Arc/MFOFC will be working with individual legislators to seek additional dollars to amend the House budget.