Budget Vetoes Update & How to Watch the Budget Overrides & End of the Legislative Session
The end of the two year Legislative session is July 31st (Midnight) and all pending matters before the Senate and House need to be taken up (the budget overrides and pending key legislation). The Senate still needs to vote to override the Governor’s budget vetoes and this is the last step in the overriding process!
The Legislature is slated to have two days of “formal sessions”. The State House, by law, needs to remain open to the public when either the Senate or House is in formal session (the State House is closed on the weekends). This also means if the debate goes into the late evening or early morning, the State House will be open to allow members of the public to watch the debates in person. You can go and watch the sessions in person if you so choose to do so!
Many advocates and lobbyists will be up at the State House these next two days trying to meet with House and Senate members, officials and/or their staff to advocate for their budget amendment(s) and pending legislation.
If you can’t be at the State House in person to observe, you can watch the sessions via live stream on the “the House Cam and the Senate Cam”. (Click on the session name. Adobe Flash Player required.):
https://malegislature.gov/Events
So far the House and Senate have has only posted today’s formal sessions starting this morning.
TWO Overrides to Ask Your State Senator to Vote For:
1. Massachusetts Cultural Council Line Item # 0640-0300 Ask your State Senator to restore full funding to this line item by overriding the Governor’s veto/reduction!!! The amount we want it restored to $16,154,982
What the Governor vetoed/reduced in funding:
Reduce/Strike Wording (reduce MCC funding by) -2,084,283 to 14,070,699
“I am striking language which earmarks funding for programs not recommended, and I am reducing this item to the amount projected to be necessary.”
2. Municipal Libraries Local Aid Line Item # 7000-9501 Ask your State Senator to restore full funding to this line item by overriding the Governor’s veto/reduction in funding. The amount we want it restored to $9,612,700
What the Governor vetoed/reduced in funding:
Reduce by -250,000 to 9,362,700
“I am striking language which earmarks funding for programs not recommended. The reduction in the item incorporates the amount of the stricken earmarked funds.”
Please see MALC’s post on how to advocate on the overrides: