How I Voted: Protecting Core Services

Protecting Core Services and Investing in Massachusetts Through the Fiscal Year 2026 State Budget

Bill: Fiscal Year 2026 State Budget

Date of Vote: June 30, 2025

What Problem Was This Bill Trying to Solve?

Massachusetts faced significant fiscal challenges entering Fiscal Year 2026, including rising health care costs, housing affordability concerns, transportation infrastructure needs, and uncertainty surrounding future federal funding. At the same time, residents continued to face high costs for housing, childcare, education, food, and health care.

The Legislature needed to develop a balanced state budget that would maintain essential services, protect vulnerable populations, invest in education and transportation, and prepare the Commonwealth for potential economic and federal funding challenges without raising taxes or drawing from the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

This budget seeks to address those challenges by making targeted investments in education, transportation, housing, health care, local aid, and economic opportunity while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

What Does the Bill Do?

• Approves a $61.01 billion Fiscal Year 2026 state budget.

• Does not raise taxes on residents or businesses.

• Does not use funds from the state’s Rainy Day Fund, while increasing the fund balance to approximately $8.26 billion.

• Invests approximately $2.4 billion in Fair Share surtax revenues for education and transportation initiatives.

Education Investments

• Provides $7.36 billion in Chapter 70 education aid, increasing funding by approximately $460 million.

• Fully funds the fifth year of the Student Opportunity Act.

• Provides:

  • $475 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program.

  • $180 million for universal free school meals.

  • $120 million for MassEducate, Massachusetts’ free community college program.

  • $674 million for special education circuit breaker reimbursements.

  • $199 million for charter school reimbursements.

  • Increased support for early education, child care, early college, dual enrollment, and higher education financial aid programs.

Transportation Investments

• Provides:

  • $470 million for MBTA operations and improvements.

  • $120 million for Regional Transit Authorities.

  • $55 million for MassDOT operations.

  • Additional funding for transportation infrastructure and debt service projects.

• Continues efforts to improve public transportation reliability and affordability.

Health and Human Services Investments

• Funds MassHealth at approximately $22.1 billion.

• Provides:

  • $3.26 billion for services supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

  • $1.82 billion for the Personal Care Attendant program.

  • $694 million for adult support services.

  • $381 million for Department of Mental Health services.

  • $187 million for substance use and recovery services.

  • Funding for family planning, reproductive health access, maternal health, mental health services, and community health centers.

Housing Investments

• Invests more than $1.15 billion in housing programs.

• Provides:

  • $253 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP).

  • $207 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT).

  • $113 million for homeless shelter assistance.

  • $57 million for HomeBASE.

  • Funding for housing stability, homelessness prevention, and supportive housing programs.

• Includes a provision requiring rental broker fees to be paid by the party that hires the broker, often the landlord.

  
  

Community and Economic Support

• Provides:

  • $1.323 billion in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) for cities and towns.

  • $86 million for food security and nutrition programs.

  • $467 million for Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC).

  • $209 million for Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC).

  • Funding for workforce development, libraries, cultural programs, and immigrant legal services.

How I Voted

I voted YES.

Why I Voted This Way

The state budget is one of the most important responsibilities of the Legislature because it determines how Massachusetts funds education, transportation, health care, housing, public safety, and local services.

This budget makes significant investments in areas that directly affect residents’ daily lives, including public schools, childcare, transportation, housing assistance, food security programs, and health care services. It also provides substantial support to cities and towns while maintaining a strong fiscal foundation.

Importantly, the budget balances these investments without raising taxes and without relying on the state’s Rainy Day Fund, helping preserve resources for future economic uncertainty.

I supported this budget because it protects critical services, invests in Massachusetts families and communities, strengthens education and transportation systems, supports vulnerable residents, and maintains responsible financial stewardship for the Commonwealth’s future.