“This isn’t about crisis management today, but about that longer term,” said Douglas Howgate, executive vice president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, in an interview. “So it’s appropriate that [federal funds go] through the Legislature. That said, there’s also a role for the…

The United States Treasury recently released guidance concerning fiscal recovery funds (FRF) provided to states, counties and municipalities that were authorized in the American Rescue Plan. The guidance provides critical details on eligible uses for each of the four categories of FRF spending, as…

Publicly subjecting spending decisions to that type of process — particularly for an unprecedented lump sum of federal funds — helps offer “much-needed clarity,” said Eileen P. McAnneny, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

Today, the Senate completed three days of debate to finalize its fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget.  After adding $63.7 million in additional spending and 83 new policy sections, the Senate and House budgets will now be reconciled through conference committee negotiations as we near the July 1st…

A breakdown of the 923 Senate amendments to the FY 2022 budget

Doug Howgate, of the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said the size and scope of the federal largesse is unprecedented. “The big challenge is how you balance the needs right now with the reality that you need to make sure resources are available for what they’re supposed to…

Today, as part of its action on COVID-19 emergency leave legislation, the House acted to address the steep increase in the solvency assessment that employers pay as part of their Unemployment Insurance premium.

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means (SWM) released its fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget today totaling $47.19 billion. Senators now have a chance to offer amendments. The plan will be debated and amended by the full Senate in two weeks and then reconciled with the House’s budget proposal that was…

Earlier today, the House completed three days of budget debate to finalize their fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget. This Bulletin summarizes notable changes made to the House Ways and Means (HWM) proposal and looks ahead to key issues to watch when the Senate Ways and Means Committee (SWM) releases its…

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation said its analysis of the budget found nearly 1,000 amendments that would increase the plan's cost by more than $1 billion.