SENATOR MICHAEL R. KNAPIK
BOSTON- Senator Michael R. Knapik (R- Westfield) announced today his appointment to the Fiscal Year 2014 budget conference committee. The appointment came during informal session on Thursday. This marks the 13th consecutive year Knapik has served on the committee as the ranking Senate Republican member.
“The confidence of my colleagues in my ability to contribute to this process is humbling,” said Knapik. “I am honored to continue serving the citizens of the Commonwealth in this capacity.”
The next step of the budget process was finalized Thursday when the Senate and House of Representatives appointed three members of each branch to the conference committee charged with reconciling the differences between the two budget bills. Besides Knapik, the Senate appointed Senator Stephen Brewer (D-Barre), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and Senator Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. The House appointed Representative Brian S. Dempsey (D-Haverhill), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Representative Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington), Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Viriato “Vinny” deMacedo (R-Plymouth), the ranking House Republican member. The committee will analyze both proposals and report a final compromise to each branch for a final vote of acceptance.
Last week, the Senate considered over 700 amendments to the Ways and Means proposal during formal debate, concluding late Thursday evening. The House passed their version of the FY14 budget in late April.
The House’s $34 billion budget bill (H.3401) prioritized funding for local aid, higher education, and public safety. Representatives added nearly $135 million to the bottom line through amendments. The Senate’s $33.9 billion spending bill (S.1800) also made significant investments in local aid, public safety, elder care, early education, and health and human service programs. Approximately $68 million was added to the bottom line through amendments.
Several of the Early Education and Care accounts will need to be reconciled by the committee including the Senate’s inclusion of $15 million to fund the Preschool Initiative, which received no funding in the House proposal. This program would provide care to an estimated 2,000 children who are currently on the waitlist for the Income Eligible Child Care program. As for the Income Eligible Child Care account, the Senate allocated approximately $3.5 million more than the House proposal.
The Senate proposal provides significant funding increases over the House proposal in educational-based local aid accounts. The Senate bill proposes a $15.2 million increase in Chapter 70 Aid over the House figure. The Senate also fully funds the Special Education Circuit Breaker while the House figure falls $14.3 million short of the necessary amount needed to fully fund the account.
In higher education, the House proposal funds the University of Massachusetts $25 million higher than the Senate proposal. The House funding level enables UMass to achieve a 50-50 split in state support and tuition and fee funding. The proposed House funding level will allow UMass to freeze tuition and fee rates at the current level for the next two years. State Universities received a $16.8 million increase in the House proposal. Also, the House included $20 million for the new Community College performance-based funding formula, a provision that was not included in the Senate proposal.
For economic development, the House proposal spends $6.5 million more than the Senate proposal for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism account. The House also allocated $3.75 million more for the Advanced Manufacturing Futures Program. The Senate included a $2 million appropriation for Workforce Development Grants, which received no funding in the House proposal.
Both proposals place a high focus on elder service programs. To this point, both bills include $10.5 million for grants to Councils on Aging, increasing support to $8 per elder. The biggest elder service funding discrepancy between the two proposals is the MassHealth Senior Care account. The Senate funded this account nearly $42.5 million more than the House proposal. The Senate also funded the Enhanced Home Care Services account $4.2 million more than the House proposal.
The conference committee will work to produce a final document in time to be voted on by the House and Senate and reviewed by Governor Patrick before the start of the new Fiscal Year on July 1, 2013.
Within ten days following the General Court’s endorsement of the compromised spending plan, the Governor will issue his veto recommendations, if any, and sign the remaining provisions into law as the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2014. The House may then elect to override some of the vetoes to reinstate certain accounts or text sections in the GAA by a two-thirds vote of the members.
“The conference committee is tasked with a difficult order as we aim to balance many spending and policy decisions with very little wiggle room,” Knapik said. “I look forward to working with Chairman Brewer, Senator Flanagan and the House members in the coming weeks of negotiations.”
