Massachusetts Municipal Association’s summary of Conference Committee’s Recommendations on State Budget

Posted on July 1, 2011 | Comments Off on Massachusetts Municipal Association’s summary of Conference Committee’s Recommendations on State Budget

Friday, July 1, 2011

HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERS AGREE ON STRONG AND EFFECTIVE MUNICIPAL HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM PLAN

URGENT REQUEST FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION:

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AND ASK FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO VOTE FOR THE MUNI HEALTH PLAN AND THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BUDGET

BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE PLAN TO BE VOTED ON AS PART OF THE FISCAL 2012 STATE BUDGET BY HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS ON FRIDAY, JULY 1

GOVERNOR WILL HAVE 10 DAYS TO SIGN THE REFORM ACT; HIS SUPPORT IS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE SAVINGS AND RELIEF FOR CITIES, TOWNS AND TAXPAYERS

At 8:00 p.m. last night, House and Senate leaders filed their agreement on a compromise plan to address the skyrocketing costs of municipal employee health insurance, as a key part of the fiscal 2012 state budget report issued by the budget Conference Committee. The measure will be voted on and enacted by the Legislature when the fiscal 2012 state budget is adopted by legislators on Friday, July 1st.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY TO CALL ON THEM TO SUPPORT THE MUNICIPAL HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN AND THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BUDGET. IT IS VITAL THAT THEY HEAR FROM YOU THIS MORNING!

On behalf of local officials in every corner of the state, the Massachusetts Municipal Association applauds the Legislature’s outstanding work in creating a meaningful, fair, and effective reform plan that balances the needs of cities and towns, taxpayers, and municipal employees.

The legislation that the House and Senate budget conferees, Speaker and Senate President have all agreed on, saves taxpayers money, preserves essential local services, protects municipal union jobs, guarantees equity with state employee health benefits, and provides municipal unions with more bargaining power than state unions. This is a balanced and fair reform that would allow cities and towns to save $100 million in avoided health insurance costs, while guaranteeing a strong and meaningful voice and role for municipal unions at every step in the process.

Local officials look forward to Governor Deval Patrick’s full support in signing the measure into law in the coming days. Communities are in fiscal distress, and the Legislature’s municipal health insurance reform act offers the relief that taxpayers deserve. Soaring health insurance costs are forcing cuts in essential municipal and school services, and forcing the elimination of teachers, firefighters, police officers and other key employees from local budgets. Cities and towns will use this reform to provide relief for local taxpayers, protect essential services, and preserve thousands of municipal jobs.

It is important to recognize the leadership of Speaker Robert DeLeo, Chairman Brian Dempsey, Vice Chairman Stephen Kulik, President Therese Murray, Chairman Stephen Brewer, Vice Chairman Steven Baddour, budget conferees Rep. Vinny deMacedo and Sen. Michael Knapik, Public Service Committee Chairs Rep. John Scibak and Sen. Katherine Clark, and all of the members of the House of Representatives and Senate who have advocated for reform this session. We look forward to working with all legislators, the Administration and stakeholders to ensure that this reform plan delivers the relief and savings that every community needs.

MMA’S OVERVIEW OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE’S MUNICIPAL HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM PLAN

Overall, the Conference Committee plan is strong, fair and balanced for all parties. It provides real reform and savings for communities, while giving municipal unions a real and meaningful voice and role in the process.

 

  • The process is streamlined and clear: In cities, City Councils vote once to accept the statute, and in towns, Boards of Selectmen also vote once to accept the new law.
  • After local acceptance, the appropriate municipal authority (generally the executive) can make health insurance plan design changes or transfer communities into the GIC following a structured process.
  • The executive develops the proposed plan design changes (no plan could have higher co-pays, deductibles, tiered network co-payments or other plan features that exceed the dollar amounts in the most subscribed plan in the GIC), or a proposal to transfer subscribers into the GIC, and estimates the first-year savings that would result.
  • The executive then notifies the Insurance Advisory Board of the estimated one-year savings resulting from the plan design changes or transfer to the GIC, and provides documentation to the IAC.
  • After discussion with the IAC as to the estimated savings, the executive convenes a meeting of a new public employee committee (PEC) which is composed of a representative of every union (bargaining unit) and a retiree representative. Each participant has an equal vote, except the retiree representative, who shall have a 10% vote.
  • The executive provides notice to the PEC detailing the proposed changes, the analysis and estimate of its anticipated savings, and a proposal to mitigate, moderate or cap the impact of the changes on subscribers, including retirees, low-income subscribers and subscribers with high out-of-pocket costs who would otherwise be disproportionately impacted.
  • The executive and the PEC would have 30 days from the date of notice to negotiate over the proposed plan design changes and the executive’s plan on how to share a portion of the first-year savings with employees, especially with retirees and those most impacted by the changes. A majority vote of the PEC would be required to reach an agreement.
  • If there is a written agreement by the end of the 30-day period, the community would proceed to implement the plan as agreed.
  • If there is no agreement after 30 days, the matter would be referred to a “municipal health insurance review panel” composed of a municipal and labor representative and an impartial third member chosen from a list of individuals with professional experience in dispute mediation and municipal finance or municipal health benefits provided by A&F. If there is no agreement on the third member after 3 business days, the A&F secretary would choose the third member.
  • If the proposed plan design changes do not exceed the GIC benchmark, the panel must approve the community’s immediate implementation of the changes. If the community is seeking to join the GIC, the panel must approve the transfer.
  • The panel would have 10 days to: 1) confirm the estimated monetary savings, to be substantiated by documentation provided by the executive; 2) review the proposal to mitigate, moderate or cap the impact of the changes on subscribers, including retirees, low-income subscribers and subscribers with high out-of-pocket costs who would otherwise be disproportionately impacted; and 3) concur with the community that the proposed mitigation plan is sufficient.
  • The review panel may determine the mitigation proposal to be insufficient, and may require additional savings to be shared with subscribers, however, the total cost of any mitigation plan developed by the panel (such as establishing an HRA or other similar steps) could not exceed 25% of the first-year savings, even if the mitigation plan is in place more than one year. The panel would be prohibited from imposing any change to contribution ratios.
  • Once the mitigation funds are expended, all mitigation plan obligations on the part of the community would expire.
  • The decisions of the municipal health insurance review panel would be binding.
  • Regional and joint purchasing groups would clearly be allowed to establish a common plan design structure, although participating communities would each go through the steps above to notify unions and retirees of the estimated savings, and follow the 30-day negotiation process and 10-day review panel process regarding the plan design changes and structuring the mitigation plan.
  • The Secretary of Administration and Finance will promulgate rules and regulations regarding the administrative procedures for the 30-day negotiation period and the municipal health insurance review panel, and issue guidelines in evaluating which subscribers would be disproportionately affected by plan design changes or transfer to the GIC.
  • The plan design changes or enrollment in the GIC could be implemented immediately, following the above-described process, except in communities that have collective bargaining agreements or Section 19 agreements in place that set specific co-pays and deductibles that are different from the new plan. In those cases, communities must wait until the initial term of the CBA or Section 19 agreement has expired.
  • For fiscal 2012, the reform plan would give cities and towns three opportunities to transfer subscribers to the GIC during the year (on January 1, April 1 and July 1), after a 4-month notification to the Commission. After that, enrollment in the GIC would occur each July 1, with notification by the previous December 1. The contribution ratios for employees entering the GIC will remain the same, but any future changes in the contribution ratios would have to be approved through full collective bargaining.
  • Importantly, the Conference Committee deleted a section that would have forced dozens of communities to increase contribution ratios for retirees, and instead replaced it with a reasonable provision that delays any change in the contribution ratios paid by retirees for a two-year period after a community implements its first plan design changes under the new law.
  • As previously announced in both the House and Senate plans, the new law would require all eligible retirees to be enrolled in a Medicare health plan (governmental units shall pay any federal penalties associated with a transfer to Medicare Part B).SUMMARY OF THE REFORM PLAN AS PROVIDED BY THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

    The following summary of the municipal health insurance reform plan was developed by the Fiscal 2012 Budget Conference Committee. The MMA will be analyzing the actual language of the proposed legislation, and will send out further details or clarifications as they become available.

    FY12 Conference Report on Municipal Health Reform

    Overview

     

  • Requires all eligible retirees to enroll in a Medicare health plan.
  • Creates 9 new sections in chapter 32B that permit plan design and enrollment in the GIC.
  • These sections will not alter the collective bargaining rights associated with premium splits.
  • It is at the option of the city or town, district or joint purchasing group to vote to accept the provisions of the new sections in order to implement plan design changes or transfer employees to the GIC.Negotiations
  • The governmental unit shall present its proposal to implement plan design changes or transfer to the GIC to the public employee committee which is composed of one member from each collective bargaining unit and a retiree representative.
  • After the proposal has been received by the committee, the governmental unit and the committee shall negotiate over the application of the estimated savings and plan design features for a period of 30 days.
  • The public employee committee shall accept any agreement by majority vote; provided, however, that the retiree representative shall have 10% of the vote.
  • If an accord cannot be reached between the governmental unit and the committee, the proposal will be submitted to a 3-person panel that shall immediately implement the plan design changes or approve the transfer to the GIC, but shall have 10 days to revise the proposed mitigation plan and may increase the percentage of savings to employees up to 25% of the initial estimate.Plan Design
  • For active employees, a governmental unit may alter co-payments, deductibles and other plan design features in its non-Medicare health plans provided that such features are no greater in dollar amount than those in the largest non-Medicare subscriber plan offered by the GIC.
  • For Medicare-eligible employees, a governmental unit may alter co-payments, deductibles and other plan design features in its Medicare health plans provided that such features are no greater in dollar amount than those in the largest Medicare subscriber plan offered by the GIC.
  • A governmental unit may increase copayments, deductibles and other plan design features provided that the dollar amounts never exceed those in the largest subscriber plan offered by the GIC; provided, however, that the governmental unit must negotiate with the public employee committee each time it implements such changes.
  • The decision to change copayments, deductibles and other plan design features will not be subject to coalition or collective bargaining; provided, however that any increases beyond the GIC are subject to bargaining.
  • A governmental unit that makes changes under this section shall be prohibited from increasing retiree contribution ratios for a period of 2 years, but only after the initial implementation of such changes.GIC
  • A governmental unit may elect to provide health care coverage to its subscribers by transferring them into the GIC.
  • The governmental unit must submit the proposal to the public employee committee for the same negotiation period as a governmental unit making plan design changes.Outside Sections
  • The provisions of sections 22 and 23 shall not be inconsistent with specific provisions of collective bargaining agreements, or section 19 agreements, in effect as of July 1, 2011.
  • Contracts that were approved by the legislature by Home Rule shall not be affected by these provisions.
  • For the next fiscal year, governmental units shall have three opportunities to transfer employees to the GIC upon giving four months notice to the commission.
  • Employees that are transferred to the GIC shall maintain their current contribution ratios for the transfer; provided, however, that contribution ratios after the transfer shall be bargained for in accordance with chapter 150E or section 19 of the General Laws.CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS KEY LOCAL AID ITEMS IN FISCAL 2012 BUDGET

    In the main appropriations items in the Fiscal 2012 state budget, House and Senate negotiators have agreed to fund key local aid accounts as follows:

     

  • As expected, the final legislative budget funds Chapter 70 school aid at $3.99 billion and Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $834 million. The school aid number reflects an increase of $139 million in the state appropriation over fiscal 2011, although $82 million lower than combined state and federal support for Chapter 70. The general government aid account reflects a cut of $65 million, about 7 percent.
  • The Special Education Circuit Breaker is funded at $213 million, an $80 million increase over fiscal 2011 levels.
  • The Regional School Transportation reimbursement account is funded at $43.5 million, a $3 million increase over fiscal 2011 levels.
  • The Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) account is funded at $27.3 million, a $1 million increase over fiscal 2011 levels.
  • The conference committee budget eliminates funding for the Police Incentive Pay [Quinn] Program that would require approximately $60 million to fully fund the state’s fifty percent share. The state appropriated $5 million for this account in fiscal 2011. The budget includes $5.5 million for anti-gang grants.
  • The budget includes $71.6 million for reimbursements to cities and towns to offset a portion of school aid losses paid as tuition to charter schools. It is not clear if this amount is sufficient to fund the state’s statutory reimbursement levels.
  • The budget bill also includes a provision that could restore all or a portion of the $65 million cut to the Unrestricted General Government Aid account if the state ends fiscal 2011 with a surplus. With state tax collections running ahead of forecast through the end of June, there is a chance that there may be some state funds available for a supplemental municipal aid distribution later this year, but that will not be known until September or October, when the state finally closes it books for the year. The amendment would require that 50 percent of any “aggregate balance of appropriations,” not to exceed $65 million, be distributed to cities and towns not later than October 31, 2011. The MMA will be monitoring the status and prospects of any action under this provision very closely.
    If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to contact us.
    You can also always find additional information on our website at:
    http://www.mma.org

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State Budget Vote – my email to Senator Timilty

Posted on July 1, 2011 | Comments Off on State Budget Vote – my email to Senator Timilty

Email just sent to Senator Timilty to ask that he vote this morning to support the Conference Committee’s budget recommendations, which include the needed municipal health insurance reforms that will save towns money.  Previously, the Senate version of the municipal health insurance reform required towns to raise benefits for retirees, so that towns had to pay more than under the House version of the bill.

7/01/2011 11:00AM
please support the Conference Committee’s budget recommendation / esp. health insurance reform
Timilty, James
===========================================================
Jim,

I am writing to ask that you vote for the Conference Committee’s budget recommendation, and most especially the municipal health insurance plan it contains.  Unfortunately, the Senate’s version of the health insurance reform will not save the Town of Medfield the same monies (and  may well cost us more) than we will see under the House version, because the Senate version requires us to bring our retirees’ benefits up to the same levels of benefits as we provide to current employees.  That will cost the Town of Medfield money to make it happen, as currently we provide lower benefits to retirees.

Thank you for your courtesies and assistance with this matter.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,
Pete
Osler L. Peterson, Attorney at Law

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Cushman House – 65 North Street

Posted on June 27, 2011 | Comments Off on Cushman House – 65 North Street

On June 8, 2011 I attended the Medfield Historic Commission meeting to discuss with its members and the Montrose School’s Business Manager, Jack Flaherty, the current status of and prospects for the Cushman House, which is located at 65 North Street.  The property, the site of the former bike shop, is owned by Montrose, but is currently vacant and its use is not within their plans.

The Historic Commission wanted to see if they could do anything to assist in seeing that the building could be saved, given its deteriorating condition and its historic significance to the town.  I am told that the house dates from about 1850.

On June 22 I toured the house with members of the Historic Commission, and learned that while appearing delapidated, there does not appear to be any great evidence of water intrusion and rot for the most part.  The agreed consensus was that the building was historically interesting and in structurally good shape.

The dilemma is how to rehabilitate the building so that it can be used, given that Montrose does not want to spend anything on the house, because it is not within its current plans or mission.  I asked Jack if Montrose would give the house away if someone were to move it, and while he made it clear that he was not able to commit the Montrose board, he did seem interested and did not rule it out as a possibility.  Moving the house could be a financial possibility for the Town of Medfield, where the utilities did not charge the town for the large services required when the Lowell Mason House  was moved.

Another alternative that occurs to this writer is for Montrose to long term lease the house to someone who willing to rehab it – if the Montrose rent was low enough and the term long enough, then the financial incentive would exist to spend the monies to do the rehabbing.

It does not serve the Town of Medfield well to have a house in such a prominent location on one of its main streets standing unused and in such a decrepit condition.

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ZipTrip Thoughts

Posted on June 27, 2011 | Comments Off on ZipTrip Thoughts

Fox News took over the park behind the gazebo last Friday for four hours, and entertained thousands from Medfield by doing so.  There appeared to be plenty of on-site activity by residents when I was there before 7 AM, and judging from the comments I have heard, it was of great interest to many more.

From what I saw when I was there, the Fox crew deserves kudos for a well planned and well oiled roll out of the Medfield iteration of their regular Friday feature.  It certainly hit upon and captured much of what most seem to think makes Medfield so special.  Nice to see Medfield getting some wider exposure.

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Lyme disease – Walpole says no thanks

Posted on June 27, 2011 | Comments Off on Lyme disease – Walpole says no thanks

I reached out to through a former Walpole selectman to ask if Walpole would join with Medfield in culling deer to reduce Lyme disease.  The selectman had the Walpole’s Board of Health agent call me, and she said that their Board of Health got an invitation from the Dover Board of Health to join a regional effort to cull deer so as to reduce Lyme disease,  but then read the early May article in the Boston Globe magazine which said there is no scientific relationship between the number of deer and the amount of Lyme disease, and decided to not proceed.  She offered to take her Board of Health new information if any was presented.  I passed this information along to the Medfield Lyme disease study committee chair.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/05/08/why_new_hunting_programs_arent_going_to_check_the_spread_of_lyme_disease/?s_campaign=8315

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Posted in Information, Wildlife Management & Lyme disease

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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Posted on June 20, 2011 | Comments Off on

Mr. Borelli’s proposed indoor sports facility sited on town’s Ice House Rd land to be presented to Board of Selectmen meeting tomorrow night

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Fox 25 News Zip Trip on 6/24

Posted on June 15, 2011 | Comments Off on Fox 25 News Zip Trip on 6/24

On 6/24 Fox 25 News will be broadcasting from the Gazebo, doing its Zip Trip. They have asked me to join them at 6:50 AM – yawn – awfully early.

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Weekly Political Report – Week Ending June 10, 2011

Posted on June 13, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending June 10, 2011

Week Ending June 10, 2011

 

Government Reform Passes Unanimously in the Senate

On Thursday, the Senate passed SB 1900, Senate President Therese Murray’s (D-Plymouth) omnibus government reform bill. SB 1900 would establish a performance management system by requiring the Executive Branch to curb personnel costs and requiring each new governor to file a zero-based budget during the initial stage of his or her administration. The bill would also implement sunset provisions for agencies and authorities, expand electronic reporting by state agencies, require reports on cash intake and outlays and identify discrepancies between estimates and actual receipt and spending levels. Under SB1900, the state’s debt limit would be increased to $1.7 billion at the start of the next fiscal year and local aid to cities and towns would be paid in monthly allotments, as opposed to the quarterly payments currently in place. The bill now moves to the House, although Speaker DeLeo (D-Winthrop) has not indicated a timeline for taking up the bill.

 

Budget Conference Conducts 1st Meeting

The six-member FY12 state budget conference committee held its first meeting on Wednesday. The conference committee is tasked with forging consensus and producing a compromise budget bill which then goes to the House and Senate for up or down votes. Both House and Senate budgets relied on $800 million in savings from the MassHealth program, which could involve constraining provider payments and rates to achieve savings, according to the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute. The new fiscal year begins July 1st, giving the committee a tight schedule to finalize the budget, which must be voted on in each chamber and then reviewed and signed by the Governor.

 

Speaker Outlines Gambling Timeline

House Speaker DeLeo (D – Winthrop) on Monday outlined a timeline for passing an expanded gambling bill. According to the Speaker, his desire is to pass the bill in July. The Speaker made clear that he and Senate President Murray (D – Plymouth) have had only preliminary discussions with the Governor, and that he hopes to take up the issue following the passage of the FY2012 budget plan. The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies held a hearing on the expanded gaming bills in early May. The Governor has said that the issue of gambling is much higher on Speaker DeLeo’s agenda than on his own. Although the House and Senate and 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.

 

Tornado Budget Bill Referred to Committee

On Tuesday, Governor Patrick filed a $52 million tornado relief budget bill that would pay for emergency response efforts and expedite municipal borrowing authority for towns affected by last week’s tornadoes. The bill 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. Both Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Murray have expressed support for the tornado relief legislation. On Thursday, the House referred the supplemental budget bill to the House Ways and Means Committee.

 

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 51.7, a 4.4% decrease since May. A score of 50 is considered neutral and any rating below 50 signifies generally negative sentiments about business confidence in the state. AIM President Rick Lord attributed the drop to economic reports last month that showed disappointing growth and job creation rates in the state. The index has remained above 50 for the previous eight 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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Posted in Information, Weekly Mass Political Summaries