Focus Turns to Massachusetts Senate for Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

May 07, 2018

The Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways & Means is set to release its budget proposal on Thursday, May 10. JDI staff will be watching for the release and analyzing the budget to provide you with information on key funding areas. Watch for information soon after briefing you on where we stand, what budget amendments we will be promoting and how you can take action. Key areas that we are monitoring: 

• Sexual and Domestic Violence Services funding in 4513-1130 and 4510-0810 (SANE) line items. We achieved an increase for RCCs in the House budget and hope to build on that in the Senate! We also will be watching for problematic earmarks in the line items and seeking to defeat those. 
• Lifting the Family Cap for TAFDC recipients. This key policy change was made in the House budget and we will advocate for the Senate to follow suit! For more information about the Family Cap, click HERE. 
• Safe Communities provisions to support immigrants in MA. We will be seeking to defeat any anti-immigrant measures and promoting amendments that would incorporate key policy provisions originally in the Safe Communities Act. We will be sharing action alerts but if you want to learn more and sign up directly to participate in the Safe Communities Coalition Senate Campaign, click HERE. 
• Funding and policy proposals related to economic stability and mobility including the Mass Rental Voucher Program and HomeBase programs. You can get connected to direct action through the On Solid Ground Coalition HERE.