Thursday, 4:30 PM
Patrick signs first budget, vetoes $41 million in spending
(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
Flanked by Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray and members of his finance team, Governor Deval Patrick signed a $26.8 billion budget today in his office at the State House.
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
Governor Deval Patrick vetoed $41.4 million today as he signed his first budget, a $26.8 billion spending plan that includes an increase in local aid and more money for police officers and kindergartens.
While Patrick emphasized his partnership with the Legislature in forming the budget, he vetoed $13.3 million in earmarks, which fund lawmakers' pet projects. Other vetoes included $712, 241 for a federal program promoting abstinence education and $10 million of the $19 million increase in funding for the trial court. The full budget can be found on the state website by clicking here.
"I remain committed to reducing the use of earmarks, as I believe public funds are put to their best use when distributed through a competitive and transparent grant process or as part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve an agency’s policy mission," Patrick said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the Legislature to find the right balance between providing appropriate flexibility to state agencies and respecting the Legislature’s important role in helping establish our priorities."
Despite the vetoes, the administration heralded a budget that it said boosted local aid by 5.8 percent, added $4 million for new police officers, and increased grants to expand kindergarten programs by $6.8 million.
The spending plan also includes $12 million for universal state coverage for two new immunizations for children, which are vaccines for rotavirus and bacterial meningitis. The governor’s initial budget also included money for a vaccine to help protect girls from a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, but the proposal was blocked in the Legislature.
Other portions of the budget highlighted by the administration include:
-- more than $1.8 billion for the state's universal healthcare initiative
-- $4 million for grants to help cities and towns streamline their permitting processes
-- establishment of a State Retiree Benefits Trust Fund to help the state reduce its liability for public retiree healthcare costs
"I am proud to sign this budget into law," Patrick said. "This is a working budget, built through collaboration between the Legislature and our administration, and based on shared priorities and a shared commitment to building a better Massachusetts."
