Category Archives: Weekly Mass Political Summaries

John Nunnari provided weekly summaries of Beacon Hill and the Massachusetts political landscape

Weekly Political Report – Week Ending September 2, 2011

Posted on September 6, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending September 2, 2011

Gambling Bill Passed out of Committee, Slated for September Debate

On Monday, the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies voted unanimously in support of HB 3697, which would authorize three resort-style casinos and one competitively bid slot facility in Massachusetts. The committee’s 16-0 vote to report the bill out of committee favorably came less than a week after the bill was filed. Four members abstained from the vote: Sen. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland), the co-chair of the committee; the two House Republicans on the committee, Rep. Paul Frost (R-Auburn) and Rep. Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge); and Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge). The bill will now be taken up by the House Committee on Ways and Means, which will likely make changes to the bill before sending it to the House floor for debate.

 

House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D- Winthrop) announced on Monday that the House will likely take up the gambling legislation during the week of Sept. 12. With House debate scheduled for early September, the bill could make its way to Senate by mid-October. In anticipation of the gambling debate, the Senate adopted an order last month requiring that members have at least 10 days to review the version of the bill that emerges from the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

 

Gov. Patrick’s Supplemental Budget Sent to House Ways and Means

The $460 million supplemental budget that Gov. Patrick’s filed in the House last week was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday. The Committee will review the details and make any changes before sending it to the full Legislature. The budget proposal, which is funded by surplus funds from FY2011, allocates $300 million to the state’s “rainy day” account and the remainder to social safety net programs, workforce development programs, and relief for communities impacted by the June tornadoes. With the infusion of $300 million, the state’s stabilization account will total $1.07 billion, the highest balance in the fund since 2008.


Senator Tolman to Step Down; Rep. Brownsberger Announces Candidacy for Seat
State Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton), who currently serves as Assistant Majority Leader, confirmed his plans to resign from the Senate if he is elected President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the state’s most prominent labor group.  Sen. Tolman has represented the Second Suffolk and Middlesex district, comprised of portions of Allston, Brighton, the South End and Back Bay as well as Belmont, Watertown and parts of Cambridge, since 1999.  The prospects of Sen. Tolman’s departure from the Senate became a near certainty this week when the only other candidate in the AFL-CIO election, Tim Sullivan (current Legislative and Communications director at the MA AFL-CIO) dropped out of the race. The AFL-CIO election is scheduled for Oct. 7.

 

State Representative William Brownsberger (D-Belmont), who is currently serving his third-term in the House, also announced this week that he intends to run for the Senate seat if and when Steven Tolman leaves.  Rep. Brownsberger  currently serves as a member of the House bonding committee, the House House Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, and the Joint Committee on Public Service.
Other representatives in Tolman’s district include Rep. Michael Moran (D-Brighton), Rep. Kevin Honan (D-Brighton), Rep. Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertown) and Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown).

 

Gas Prices Decrease for Fourth Straight Week

Massachusetts gas prices dipped again this week, marking the fourth week in a row. At The $3.61 per gallon, the cost of gas in Massachusetts matched the national average but remained 98-cents-per-gallon higher than the same week a year earlier.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

 

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Weekly Political Report – week ending 8/19/11

Posted on August 22, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – week ending 8/19/11

Elizabeth Warren Forms Exploratory Panel

Harvard law professor and previous nominee to head the new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Elizabeth Warren filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission on Thursday to establish an exploratory committee as she considers a run in the 2012 U.S. Senate race to challenge Senator Scott Brown. Exploratory committees are used by potential candidates to raise money for travel, polling and other activities as they consider a potential campaign. Warren, who was named Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury by President Obama to help create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) established under the Dodd-Frank Act, also launched a website – www.elizabethforma.com – as a portal for voters to make a donation to the committee.

According to Warren’s spokesman Kyle Sullivan (former communications director to Gov. Patrick), “Elizabeth has spent the last week listening to people from across the Commonwealth as she considers a campaign for the U.S. Senate. She wants to continue this conversation and the exploratory committee will assist her in doing so.” Warren has been participating in house parties across the state, visiting New Bedford, Brockton, Arlington, Dorchester, Lexington, Jamaica Plain, and Cambridge. She plans to travel to Framingham, Shrewsbury, Springfield, Pittsfield, the Cape and the North Shore in the coming days and weeks.

According to Warren’s advisors, Warren will announce her final decision about a potential campaign after Labor Day. There are currently six declared Democrats in the race seeking to challenge U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in 2012: City Year co-founder Alan Khazei, Newton Mayor Setti Warren, Somerville activist Bob Massie, State Representative Tom Conroy of Wayland, Salem immigration lawyer Marisa DeFranco, and Newton engineer Herb Robinson. Former State Sen. Warren Tolman announced this week that he would not enter the race.
Mid-August Tax Collections Stagnate

Revenue Commissioner Navjeet Bal reported this week that mid-August tax collections are down $31 million compared to the same period last year. Through Aug. 15, tax collections totaled $584 million. The state’s benchmark for the month projects collections of $1.44 billion, an increase of $53 million or 3.8 percent. In a letter to the Legislature, Commissioner Bal said that lower withholding and sales tax collections were partly offset by higher corporate and business tax payments over the first two weeks of August. Withholding taxes through mid-August were down $38 million from the same period in August 2010.
Boston Area Prices Increase

On Thursday the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the consumer price index, which measures changes in the prices of food, clothing, shelter and other goods and services, has risen 3.4 percent over the past year for the Boston area. This is slightly lower than the 3.6 percent rise nationally. The bureau’s regional office also reported that higher gas prices had driven a 23.6 percent increase in the area’s energy prices over the past year.

 

Unemployment Rate in Massachusetts Holds Steady
The unemployment rate in Massachusetts held steady at 7.6 percent in July, despite the addition of 12,700 seasonal jobs. The state’s jobless count, which is 1.5% below the national rate of 9.1%, has remained constant for the last three months. Massachusetts added 56,800 jobs since July 2010 for a growth rate of 1.8 percent. While job gains were reported in education, health services, trade, transportation, and utilities, job losses were recorded in the information, construction and leisure and hospitality sectors. The Patrick administration advised that methodological changes implemented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this year are causing “volatile changes” to monthly job estimates.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

 

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Weekly Political Report – Week Ending August 12, 2011

Posted on August 12, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending August 12, 2011

Indications of a Possible Senate Run for Elizabeth Warren

Speculation grew this week around Elizabeth Warren’s potential candidacy for Senator Scott Brown’s U.S. Senate seat. Warren, a longtime consumer advocate, was named Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury to assist in creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) established under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. On Thursday evening, Warren posted an article on the liberal blog Blue Mass Group in which she discussed her family history, her work in Washington D.C. to tackle the problem of “big banks that drained billions of dollars out of families’ pockets,” and her intention to come back home to Massachusetts and start talking to people “about the challenges we face and how we get our economy growing again.” The Boston Globe reported on Friday that Warren had hired Governor Patrick’s former campaign manager as a consultant.

Congressmen Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch have both indicated that they are still considering a run for the Senate seat and that they intend do make a final decision in the coming months.

 

Legislature on August Recess

With the Legislature on August recess, activity at the State House remained slow this week. Several members of the Massachusetts House and Senate, including Senate President Therese Murray, Sen. Richard Moore, who was recently named NCSL president, and Reps. Jay Kaufman and Michael Moran, traveled to San Antonio to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures Annual Legislative Summit.

 

Senator John Kerry Appointed to Debt Reduction Super Committee

This week US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed Senator John Kerry to the 12-member special panel created as part of the debt ceiling agreement. The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is tasked with creating a plan to cut an additional $1.2 from the federal deficit over the next 10 years. The committee was given a deadline of Nov. 23, 2011 to produce its recommendations, which will be voted on immediately by both chambers of Congress, with no filibusters or amendments allowed.

 

Attorney General Reaches Settlement with Mortgage Lender Option One

On Monday Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a settlement with Sand Canyon, formerly known as Option One. Under the agreement, thousands of Massachusetts home loan recipients will receive roughly $115 million in relief.  The settlement resolves claims of unfair and discriminatory lending practices and directs American Home Mortgage Servicing Inc., which serves about 5,500 Option One loans in Massachusetts, to make loan modifications that will provide relief to mortgage holders. Coakley said 2,361 home loan recipients are eligible, based on their delinquency status, to have their mortgages restructured under the settlement. The settlement also requires the mortgage originator to pay $9.8 million to the state.

 

Business Confidence Levels Hold Steady in July

According to a report released by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) on Tuesday, business confidence levels among Massachusetts employers held at neutral levels in July.  The index measures business confidence in the state through a survey it sends out to its members. A score of 50 is considered neutral and any rating below 50 signifies generally negative sentiments about business confidence in the state.

The business confidence reading in July was 50.5 on a scale of 0 to 100 and was up about ten points from two years ago. The index does not reflect the recent instability of the stock market, the decision by Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the nation’s credit rating, and last week’s debt ceiling agreement in Washington. AIM senior vice president Andre Mayer said the economic turmoil this month will be reflected in the August index.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

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Weekly Political Report – Weekly Political Report

Posted on August 5, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Weekly Political Report

Initiative Petitions Filed with Attorney General’s Office

Twenty-two groups filed thirty-one petitions for proposed laws or constitutional amendments with Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office this week. The list of ballot proposals includes measures that would sanction the sale of beer and wine at food stores, allow three casinos in Massachusetts, expand the state’s bottle redemption law, and set up a legal framework for medical marijuana. The Attorney General’s office has until September 7th to certify petitions that meet constitutional requirements to qualify for the ballot. If certified, petition proponents have between mid-September and mid- November to collect roughly 69,000 signatures to progress to the next step for qualification on the statewide ballot: legislative review.

 

Governor signs court reform law

On Thursday, Governor Deval Patrick signed into law the court reform bill that aims to eliminate patronage in the Probation Department. Governor Patrick expressed his reservations about the bill, which he says does not go far enough. The final version of the bill approved by the legislature last week does not merge the Probation and Parole Departments as the Governor proposed. The new law prohibits state agencies from viewing written recommendations for job candidates until the final stages of the hiring process and designates a “civilian administrator” to work alongside the Trial Court’s top judge to manage resources. The administrator will handle administrative functions including budgeting and hiring, while the chief justice of the Trial Court will deal with scheduling, disciplining judges and other judicial functions.

 

Governor Signs Bill Creating Sales Tax Holiday for August

Governor Patrick signed the sales tax holiday bill when it reached his desk this week. Last week the House and Senate both gave final approval to the bill, which will suspend the state sales tax in Massachusetts for the second weekend in August. The bill is expected to cost the state $20.5 million during the two-day period (August 13th and 14th).

 

Unofficial Summer Recess Continues on Beacon Hill

The Governor leaves for a 10-day vacation today while the legislature is currently taking an informal August recess, with no formal sessions or committee hearings scheduled for the month. However, the State House will remain active, with committees reviewing legislation and committee hearings being scheduled for the fall.

 

Tax Collection Figures For First Half of July Up 6.6%

This week the Massachusetts Department of Revenue released the tax collection figures for the first month of FY2012. Tax revenues for the month of July were $60 million above state budget benchmarks. According to Navjeet Bal, the state revenue commissioner, the gains were due to increased income tax collections and several one-time estate tax payments. Tax collections are expected to reach $20.636 billion in FY2012, although the sales tax holiday will cost the state $20.5 million.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

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Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 29, 2011

Posted on August 1, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 29, 2011

Week Ending July 29, 2011

 

Governor Announces Support for a Single Slot Parlor

With the House Speaker DeLeo’s (D – Winthrop) announcement earlier this month that legislative debate on gambling will begin in September, the Governor on Wednesday announced his support for a single competitively bid slot parlor as part of a bill to allow for casino gaming in-state. The Governor said that expanded gambling will be approved, but that the details of the bill, such as the tax rate charged to casinos, the regulatory framework and other aspects, are still being worked out. According to Senate President Murray and Speaker DeLeo, these details are being finalized by the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, which has multiple expanding gaming bills before it.  The debate on gaming legislation and redistricting are expected to take up much of the legislature’s agenda for September, October and November.

House and Senate Approve Sales Tax Holiday for August

This week the House and Senate both gave final approval to a bill suspending sales tax in Massachusetts for the second weekend in August. On a vote of 123-23 in the House and 28-9 in the Senate, the legislature voted to suspend sales tax on items that cost less than $2,500. The bill is expected to cost the state $20 million during the two day period on August 13th and 14th. Governor Patrick said he intends to sign the sales tax holiday bill when it reaches his desk.

 

Massachusetts Unemployment Rates Up in Parts of State, Down in Others

The unadjusted unemployment figures for labor markets across the state were released this week. The data showed that the unemployment rate increased in 17 areas, and decreased in another eight labor markets. The new statistics show that the jobless rate was down from May to June in geographic areas including Barnstable, Pittsfield, Fall River, Nantucket and Tisbury. The statewide employment rate was down .7% from one year ago.

Home Sales Down Significantly in First Half of the Year

The Warren Group released a report this week which showed a dramatic decrease in single family home and condo sales last month. June had the lowest home sales volume of any month in the last 20 years and also saw the tenth straight drop for home sales in the last twelve months. Tim Warren, CEO of the Warren Group attributes the large drop in sales to the inflated homes sale numbers from June, which were affected the availability of homebuyer tax credits.

Unofficial Summer Recess Begins on Beacon Hill

After passing a bill earlier today that would reform the state’s court systems including adding a civilian overseer and how the court’s hiring process works, the House and Senate adjourned until Monday for an informal session. The legislature will be taking an informal August recess, with no formal sessions or committee hearings scheduled for the month. However, the State House will be still be active, with committees reviewing legislation and committee hearings being scheduled for the fall.

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

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Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 22, 2011

Posted on July 25, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 22, 2011

Massachusetts Unemployment Stays at 7.6% in June

Unemployment in the state stayed constant at 7.6% last month, according to a Patrick Administration jobs report.  Although the state added 10,400 jobs, the unemployment rate did not change and has stayed below 8% for the last three months. This is the first time since 2009 that the rate has been below the 8% benchmark level for more than a month in a row. Currently the Commonwealth’s unemployment rate is 1.6% below the national rate of 9.2%.

 

Tax Collection Figures For First Half of July Up 13.8%

This week the Massachusetts Department of Revenue released the tax collection figures for the first half of July. Tax revenues for this period were $68 million above state budget benchmarks. According to Navjeet Bal, the state revenue commissioner, the gains were due to increased withholding and estate tax collections. Tax collections from the previous few months have also exceeded budget benchmarks, leaving a state budget surplus, something taken into consideration during drafting of the final FY2011 budget.

 

Revenue Surplus Expected for FY2012, Could Trigger Income Tax Reduction

At the close of FY2011, state tax collections rose almost $2 billion compared to FY2010. Because of the 10.6% rise in revenue, state coffers will begin to show a revenue surplus, barring any sudden or unexpected tax collection deficit. According to Senate President Therese Murray (D – Plymouth), the strong tax collections could trigger a reduction in the state’s income tax, from 5.3% to 5.25%. Under state law, the income tax that the Commonwealth collects would fall to 5.25% if two conditions are met: more than 2.5% growth in FY2011 inflation-adjusted baseline revenues over FY2010 revenues as well as three consecutive months of positive revenue growth compared to the same period one year earlier. President Murray said she would know more about the likelihood of the tax cut by October of this year.

 

Near Term Legislative Agenda Clearer

With the passage of the FY2011 budget and House Speaker DeLeo’s (D – Winthrop) announcement last week that legislative debate on gambling will begin in September, the near-term legislative agenda is becoming clearer. The Legislative Committee on Redistricting is currently holding public hearings to determine how new districts will be drawn. Hearings will continue through the end of this month, with a first draft of the redrawn districts expected to be released in the fall. Gambling debate as well as redistricting are expected to take up much of the legislature’s agenda for September, October and November.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

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Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 8, 2011

Posted on July 12, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 8, 2011

Week Ending July 8, 2011

 

Governor Reviewing FY2012 Budget

After the House and Senate passed the FY2012 budget last Friday, it was sent to Governor Patrick’s desk for his consideration. Under the Massachusetts Constitution, the Governor is granted 10 days to review a bill after the Legislature sends it to him for consideration. The Legislature also passed a $1.25 billion ten day budget last week to fulfill state spending starting last Friday. On Wednesday of this week, Governor Patrick met with House Speaker Bob DeLeo (D-Winthrop) to discuss the municipal health care reform plan that was included in the conference committee budget. Although details of the Governor’s meeting with the Speaker were not made public, the Governor earlier in the week voiced his uncertainty over whether he could sign off on the plan. The Governor said he was happy with the savings achieved but not sure if labor’s role was meaningful enough. The Governor has until Monday to sign the budget, file amendments and hand down vetoes.

 

Joint Committee on Health Care Finance Continues to Hold Hearings on Health Reform Legislation

The Committee, which has held hearings across the state on Gov. Patrick’s proposal to reduce health care spending, held another hearing on Friday in Sandwich, MA. Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) testified at the hearing which was held in her district. She voiced general support for the legislation, calling it a good first step, but said that some of the provisions needed to be examined in more depth and reworked in some cases. Murray also said passing the legislation was an “economic imperative” and she hopes the committee advances the bill soon.

 

Democrats Announce Fundraising Totals for 2nd Quarter

City Year co-founder Alan Khazei raised the most money in the buildup to unseat Republican Senator Scott Brown, according to 2nd quarter fundraising totals announced on Tuesday. Khazei, who lost in the Democratic primary for the United States Senate to Attorney General Martha Coakley last year, raised over $920,000, the single highest total for all announced Democrats. Newton Mayor Setti Warren raised $122,000, former Lt. Governor candidate Robert Massie raised $82,800 and State Representative Thomas Conroy of Wayland raised $61,000. Senator Brown raised $1.8 million in the 2nd quarter, increasing his campaign account to $9.6 million. In a Suffolk/7NEWS poll from April, 55% of voters believe Brown deserves to be re-elected. The Democratic primary is scheduled for September of this year.

 

Business Confidence in Massachusetts Falls

Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) measures business confidence in the state through a survey it sends out to its members. The AIM confidence index is currently at 50, a 1.7% decrease since June. A score of 50 is considered neutral and any rating below 50 signifies generally negative sentiments about business confidence in the state. AIM President Richard Lord attributed the last two months declining conditions to the high unemployment in the state. The index has remained at 50 or above for the previous nine months. The index reached its all-time low in February 2009.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

 

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Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 1, 2011

Posted on July 6, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending July 1, 2011

Week Ending July 1, 2011

 

House and Senate Pass FY2012 Budget, Send Bill to Governor’s Desk

On Thursday evening the six-member conference committee that is tasked with reconciling the House and Senate versions of the FY2012 $30.6 billion state budget filed their compromise bill with the House clerk’s office. The total budget amount is the largest in state history and was crafted without the assistance of $1.5 billion in federal stimulus funds the state accepted last fiscal year.

 

The FY2012 budget reverses a $65 million local aid cut that municipalities had anticipated by giving any unspent funds left over at the end of the current fiscal year back to the cities and towns. In addition, the budget makes major revisions to how municipalities negotiate and share health care costs, overhauls the state’s indignant counsel system, and anticipates large reductions in state health care spending. As a result of the FY2012 budget, $584 million will remain in the Commonwealth’s rainy day fund.

 

The House and Senate passed the budget this afternoon sending it to the Governor for his consideration. Under the Massachusetts Constitution, the Governor is granted 10 days to review a bill after the Legislature passes a bill and sends it to him for consideration. On Monday of this week, the Legislature passed a $1.25 billion ten day budget to fulfill state spending starting July 1st.

 

Municipal Health Reform Included in FY2012 Budget

While the House and Senate differed significantly on the issue of municipal health care reform, the compromise bill filed would allow municipalities to enact plan design changes to employee health care coverage following a 30-day bargaining window. It would also require that 25% of the savings that municipalities realize be redirected back to employees. Municipal health reform was the major sticking point in House and Senate budget negotiations.

 

Home Foreclosures Decrease Sharply in May

The Warren Group, which monitors home sales in the state, said initiated and completed home foreclosures in May were down 65% over the year, a 58% drop compared to May 2010. This is the first month since the beginning of the year that the number of foreclosure petitions (454) is below 500 for the year.  Vincent Valvo of Banker and Tradesman magazine called the large decline in completed foreclosures encouraging, although he warned that delayed foreclosures may be masking the reality of the market.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

 

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Weekly Political Report – week ending June 24, 2011

Posted on June 27, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – week ending June 24, 2011

FY2012 Budget Still Not Finished, Governor to File Interim Budget

With less than a week before the new fiscal year begins, the six-member conference committee that is tasked with reconciling the House and Senate versions of the FY2012 $30.5 billion state budget still have not reached an agreement. Although the Senate held a Friday session in the event that an agreement was reached and filed with the Legislature by Thursday night, the House on Thursday adjourned for the week, precluding any chance of the Legislature passing a budget before the weekend. Under the Massachusetts Constitution, the Governor is granted 10 days to review a bill after the Legislature passes a bill and sends it to him for consideration. Although details of the negotiations have not been made public, the House and Senate budgets differed significantly on issues such as municipal health care reform, pharmaceutical gift ban repeal, the use of electro-shock therapy on disabled children and illegal immigration.  Larger issues are also being debated such as adding money to the rainy day fund and whether to include an automatic rollback of the state’s income tax.

 

While the budget conference committee continues its deliberations, Governor Patrick intends to file a temporary $1.25 billion 10-day budget. According to Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzales, the interim budget will be filed today in order to avoid payment disruptions after July 1st assuming a full year budget is not in place.

 

Governor Patrick Signs Storm Relief Bill

On Tuesday, Governor Patrick signed a $54 million tornado relief bill. The bill allocates $15 million to pay for emergency response, cleanup, shelter expenditures and other assistance related to the tornadoes. It also allows Western Massachusetts municipalities to execute short-term borrowing for emergencies without legislative approval and enables cities and towns to assess FY2012 property taxes based on the damaged conditions of properties.

 

Massachusetts Unemployment Rates Up in Parts of State, Down in Others

The unadjusted unemployment figures for labor markets across the state were released this week. The data showed that the unemployment rate increased in eight areas, decreased in another eight, and were unchanged in the remaining six labor markets. The new statistics show that the jobless rate was up geographic areas including Boston, Cambridge and Quincy. Lawrence-Methuen-Salem and Fall River had the highest unemployment rates in the state, at 11.4%.

 

Tax Collection Figures For First Half of June Up 9.3%

This week the Massachusetts Department of Revenue released the tax collection figures for the first 17 days of June. Tax revenues for this period were $54 million above state budget benchmarks. The state collected $1.2 billion in taxes during the month, a 9.3% increase compared to the same period in June 2010. According to Navjeet Bal, the state revenue commissioner, the gains were due to estimated payments that residents paid with their income tax returns and increased sales tax revenue.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

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Weekly Political Report – Week Ending June 17, 2011

Posted on June 20, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending June 17, 2011

Week Ending June 17, 2011 Former House Speaker DiMasi Convicted On Wednesday, a jury convicted former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi of using his office to rig software contracts in exchange for kickbacks. DiMasi, who was Speaker of the Massachusetts House from 2004 to 2009, was convicted on seven counts, including conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and extortion. The trial lasted six weeks and featured testimony from Governor Deval Patrick, current and former Massachusetts State Representatives and former House staffers. On Thursday, Judge Mark Wolf scheduled DiMasi’s sentencing hearing for September 8th. House and Senate Pass Storm Relief Bills This week the House and Senate passed a supplemental budget aimed at providing funding for relief from the June 1st tornadoes that hit Western Massachusetts. Both bills would allocate $15 million to pay for emergency response, cleanup, shelter expenditures and other assistance related to the tornadoes. In keeping with the version filed last week by Governor Patrick, both bills would allow Western Massachusetts municipalities to execute short-term borrowing for emergencies without legislative approval and enable cities and towns to assess FY2012 property taxes based on the damaged conditions of properties. The different versions will have to be reconciled before going to the Governor for his signature. Last Saturday the Governor filed a request with FEMA for a Presidential declaration of an emergency in parts of Western Massachusetts. Indication of Potential Gambling Compromise Last week House Speaker DeLeo (D – Winthrop) signaled that he hoped to pass an expanded gambling bill before the end of July. On Monday, after meeting with Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Murray (D – Plymouth), the Governor indicated his flexibility on the issue and referred to a potential compromise of three destination resort casinos and one competitively bid slot parlor license that he could support. Although the House and Senate and the Governor were generally in agreement about authorizing casinos in the state before the end of last session, the issue of whether slot machines should be allowed at the state racetracks ultimately derailed the bill’s final passage. Pension Reform Could Be Taken Up Before August Recess At the end of January, Governor Patrick filed legislation to increase the minimum retirement age for state workers from 55 to 60. His legislation would also require state employees to work until 67 in order to receive their maximum pension benefit. According to Governor Patrick, he received assurances from Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Murray this week that his pension bill could be brought to the floor during the summer. Massachusetts’ current retirement system supports 56,000 retirees and has 86,000 actively contributing employees. Massachusetts Unemployment Falls .2% in May Unemployment in the state was down .2% in May to 7.6%, according to a Patrick Administration jobs report. Although Massachusetts lost 4,000 jobs last month, the unemployment rate has stayed below 8% for the last two months, the first time it has done so since 2009. The highest job gains in the state this month were in professional services, construction and manufacturing industries. John Nunnari, Assoc AIA Executive Director, AIA MA jnunnari@architects.org 617-951-1433 x263 617-951-0845 (fax) MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects The Architects Building 52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301 http://www.architects.org

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