Gregoire Joins House Colleagues in Advancing FY21 Budget

For Immediate Release: Contact: Alicia DelVento

11/19/2020 Alicia.DelVento@mahouse.gov

Gregoire Joins House Colleagues in Advancing FY21 Budget

(BOSTON) – Representative Danielle W. Gregoire (D-Marlborough) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives last week in advancing the Fiscal Year 2021 budget with a 143-14 vote. This budget authorizes the spending of $46 billion without introducing any new broad-tax measures.

The House approved budget significantly invests in critical services and resources, including an allocation of $1.13 billion of unrestricted local aid to assist the Commonwealth's cities and towns and $5.3 billion in Chapter 70 funds, allowing our communities to invest directly in their schools. Furthermore, this budget sought to provide relief to a number of programs that have proven critical throughout this pandemic. The FY21 House budget includes $50 million for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program and $135 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) to assist low-income households, and provide significant supports for housing and homelessness in the Commonwealth. Additionally, this budget tackles the pressing issue of food insecurity, exacerbated by COVID-19, through a $30 million investment in the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP) and a $13 million investment in the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), both aimed at combating food insecurity in the Commonwealth. Finally, as a result of conversations with the local Administration as well as residents of Marlborough, Representative Danielle W. Gregoire (D-Marlborough) was able to secure $25,000 for the installation of security cameras in Marlborough's two fire department substations, as well as $10,000 for the installation of automated external defibrillators in the Liberty Hill Senior Housing Complex.

"I am so proud of the budget we have been able to pass,” said Representative Danielle W. Gregoire, (D-Marlborough), House Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. “This budget makes crucial investments in our Commonwealth's programs and resources at a time when they are critically important to the welfare of our residents and does so without introducing any new broad-tax measures.”

The Senate is expected to conclude deliberations of their version of the FY21 budget this week. At that time both bills will be sent to a conference committee to reconcile the differences.

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