Update on the State Budget Process: Conference Committee

The next step of the state budget process, the Conference Committee, is now underway!

The Conference Committee is meeting today and will start their negotiations to come up with a consensus state budget. The budget is due by July 1st. The conference committee is chaired by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jeffery Sánchez of JP/Boston and Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka of Ashland. The other members are Ways and Means vice chairs Rep. Stephen Kulik of Worthington and Sen. Sal DiDomenico of Everett, Sen. Vinny deMacedo of Plymouth, and Rep. Todd Smola of Warren who will serve as the Republican conference member.

It is important to note that where the House and Senate budgets differ (in funding levels and in language), the Conference Committee will need to negotiate the final funding levels and language.

One key negotiation point will be the Mass Cultural Council’s funding level as the House and Senate approved differing funding levels.  The final Senate Budget funded it at $16,034,982  and increased the funding for the MCC by $2 million. The House Budget funded it at $14,500,699, thus increasing the MCC budget by $500,000. 

You can follow the process via this link:

https://malegislature.gov/Budget/ConferenceCommittee

MALC will do its best to keep you informed!