Press Release: 5/15/2026

Out of Touch: Senate Budget Adds Costs, Cuts Oversight

Round 2! Hold on to your wallet, again.



As we prepare for the Senate budget debate next week, we went through over one thousand amendments filed so you don’t have to. The theme is all too familiar. While lawmakers warn of a “challenging fiscal environment,” their proposals tell a very different story.



In total, senators filed over 1,100 amendments, with:




  • 799 amendments increasing spending or earmarking funds

  • More than $307 million in earmarks requested

  • Hundreds of policy changes impacting taxes, benefits, and government operations



There are also dozens of amendments creating new commissions, expanding health coverage mandates, and making sweeping changes to tax policy. While a few proposals aim to provide relief, many others move the Commonwealth in the opposite direction.



🚨 Expanding Taxpayer-Funded Benefits for Migrants

Despite ongoing strain on the state budget, several amendments would significantly increase taxpayer-funded services for migrants and expand programs that were only recently created:




  • Amendment #895 increases funding for immigrant legal defense by $3 million, expanding a program that was only established last year

  • Amendment #427 directs $5 million to the Immigrant Family Services Institute for facilities, legal services, and programming

  • Amendments #430 and #445 add additional earmarks for immigrant-focused legal and support services







At a time when families across Massachusetts are struggling with rising costs and local cities and towns are considering cuts or tax hikes to contend with dwindling state aid, Beacon Hill continues to prioritize new and expanded benefits for migrants without clear limits or accountability.



🚨 Loosening Welfare Eligibility and Expanding Housing Programs

Even more concerning is a slate of amendments that would weaken eligibility standards and expand already fast-growing welfare and housing programs:




  • Amendment #842 removes verification requirements for emergency shelter access, allowing applicants to self-declare identity, residency, and eligibility

  • Amendment #515 expands HomeBASE eligibility and removes key qualifying criteria, while increasing benefit caps

  • Amendment #42 expands RAFT (rental assistance) eligibility and increases maximum benefits from $7,000 to $10,000

  • Amendment #551 eliminates the requirement to verify pregnancy for cash assistance eligibility

  • Amendment #532 increases direct cash assistance through  payments by blanket 10 percent 



These proposals come on top of programs that have already seen explosive growth in recent years, with housing and welfare spending climbing at an unsustainable pace even as oversight weakens and fraud rises, according to a recent Fiscal Alliance Foundation study.



Rather than implementing reforms, the Senate is moving to expand access, loosen safeguards, and increase costs.



⚠️ Attacks on Transparency and Fair Elections

Beyond spending, several amendments raise serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the political process:




  • Amendment #308 would ban candidates from using their own money to fund their campaigns, limiting political competition and protecting incumbents

  • Amendment #248 would expand public records exemption by shielding the contact information of candidates and elected officials, making it harder for voters and the press to hold them accountable

  • Amendment #869 allows individuals currently incarcerated for felony convictions to vote, reversing longstanding law and raising serious concerns about the integrity and public confidence in the state’s election system







At a time when public trust in government is already strained, these proposals move in the wrong direction by reducing transparency and limiting voter access to information.



📊 The Bigger Picture

Taken together, the Senate’s amendments reflect a clear set of priorities:




  • Expanding broken government programs rather than reforming them

  • Increasing spending despite fiscal warnings

  • Weakening eligibility standards and oversight

  • Limiting transparency and accountability



At a time where affordability and economic competitiveness should be at the forefront of the conversation, these amendments risk making both worse.



✅ Common-Sense Amendments

• Amendment #372 (Fattman) reclassifies the Commonwealth’s emissions targets into aspirational goals rather than binding requirements, restoring flexibility and easing regulatory pressure on residents and businesses

• Amendment #301 (Dooner) redirects $5 million away from taxpayer-funded immigration legal services programs, eliminating funding for a new state-run legal aid initiative

• Amendment #907 (Dooner) repeals the state’s “no cost calls” policy for incarcerated individuals convicted of serious violent offenses, restoring accountability and reducing ongoing correctional system costs

 







For those keeping score at home, all Senate budget amendments can be viewed here.



Time will tell which amendments are ultimately adopted, but the direction is clear: Beacon Hill is completely out of touch with reality.



They continue to grow government, expand benefits, and avoid accountability, even as residents face rising costs and increasing uncertainty about the state’s fiscal future.



We’ll be tracking developments closely throughout Senate budget week.



Be sure to follow us on X for real-time updates, amendment highlights, and video coverage.