First some good news. Governor Maura Healey’s proposed tax hikes on prescription drugs and candy, along with the Governor’s effort to cap state tax deductions to charities were not included in the House budget. These are bad policy proposals that MassFiscal slammed out of the gate and due to your strong advocacy against them, House lawmakers didn’t touch them.
Now the bad news. We made it over the threshold of another House Budget Week, with the final House budget bill clocking in at over $61 BILLION!
Despite constantly warning about the risk of losing federal funding, House legislators still filed 1,650 amendments packed with additional spending. Even more concerning, the budget is based on a revenue estimate that still includes $16 billion in federal funds. If that money doesn’t come through, Beacon Hill will either be forced to cut spending—something they rarely do—or use it as an excuse to raise taxes. Convenient for those eager to take another bite out of the taxpayer’s apple.
This comes in stark contrast to what House leaders said before budget week. House Speaker Ron Mariano claimed he “made sure that the members understand that we're treading on thin ice,” and that, “this is going to be a tight budget—not business as usual.” Then they passed a record-breaking budget, while rejecting common-sense reforms at every turn.
Amendments allowing local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE were rejected. So were reforms to the emergency shelter system that would have limited benefits to citizens who’ve lived in-state for at least six months.
A proposal to delay enforcement of the controversial MBTA Communities Act and block the Attorney General’s threats to withhold funding from non-compliant communities? Shot down faster than a knife fight in a phone booth.
As electricity bills soar and public attention turns to the costs of the state’s alternative energy mandates, a few lawmakers offered rational reforms. One amendment from Rep. Marc Lombardo proposed turning the Net-Zero by 2050 Roadmap from rigid mandatesinto flexible goals—allowing the state to reduce emissions based on available and cost-effective resources. That, too, was rejected—because heaven forbid Beacon Hill make decisions based on what’s best for the people of Massachusetts.
Two more amendments sought to delay or repeal the Advanced Clean Cars II rule (ACCII)—a California regulation adopted by the Healey administration. It requires 35% of light-duty vehicles delivered to dealerships to be zero-emission by the 2026 model year, ramping up to 100% by 2035. For perspective: at the end of 2024, only 14.2% of new cars sold in Massachusetts were EVs. This rule clearly does not “meet the moment,” but both efforts to roll it back were rejected—without a single recorded vote.
MassFiscal provided consistent updates and analysis as the process unfolded. Check out one of the highlights below:
And, of course, the process was business as usual behind closed doors. Even with mounting pressure from the voter-approved audit of the legislature, transparency remains little more than political theater. As always, the real decisions were made in Room 438—“the room where it happens”—at all hours of the day and night.
Now, we turn to Senate Budget Week, where they’ll write their own bill and then try to reconcile it with the House version… behind closed doors once again. We’ll be watching for any proposed tax hikes and keep a close eye on their amendments, once they are filed.
We’ll keep you updated. |
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