The fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget process is officially underway, commencing last month with the annual Consensus Revenue Hearing. The testimony provided at the hearing touched on a number of issues – including slow revenue growth, insufficient reserves and growing nondiscretionary costs – that have…

Heading toward the halfway mark in fiscal year (FY) 2018, the state’s short-term fiscal outlook remains unclear. At this point in the fiscal year, the state budget appears to be in balance, with known spending needs largely offset by stronger than expected revenue collections. However, several…

Forecasting state tax revenues 18 months into the future is always risky as unforeseen events often undermine predictions as the past three years have demonstrated. However, predicting revenues in FY 2019 is more daunting than usual because there are several upcoming events over the next 12 months…

Last week the House and Senate passed separate versions of the final supplemental budget necessary to close out fiscal year 2017. This brief assesses the final FY 2017 budget gap and looks at the strategies the Administration and the Legislature is relying on to end the year in balance.

Governor Baker signed the FY 2018 budget after vetoing $320.3 million in spending and striking or amending 34 policy sections. The Legislature now has until the end of formal sessions this year – likely in November – to override vetoes and finalize the FY 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA). This…

Today, the Legislature voted to enact a $40.2 billion budget for FY 2018. This year’s budget reconciliation process was hampered by several major challenges – most notably the need to reduce expected tax revenues from the amount used in both the House and Senate plans.

The undersigned employer groups, representing businesses from all sectors, of all sizes and from all parts of the Commonwealth oppose the final budget plan calling for a new health assessment on employers without significant reforms to manage the cost of health care.

For the second straight year, budget conferees are working to finalize a budget for July 1st while grappling with how best to adjust the fundamental tax revenue assumption used to balance the budget. This brief examines the challenges budget conferees and the Administration face and how these…

As you begin your deliberations, we respectfully request that you omit, in Section 1B, line-item 0710-0002 and Section 15 of Senate bill 2076, which would establish and fund of a tax expenditure review commission under the control of the State Auditor. As organizations that represent thousands of…

The Senate finalized its fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget yesterday after three days of debate. Through the amendment process, the Senate added $52.2 million in new spending and added 150 policy sections to the spending plan released from the Senate Committee on Ways and Means last week. Budget…