Passers-by ascend snow-covered stairs near the Statehouse yesterday in Boston. A heavy snow forecast and a blizzard warning was posted for portions of Massachusetts yesterday prompting Gov. Deval Patrick to dismiss nonemergency state workers early and postpone his annual State of the State address. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick is again preparing to deliver his final state budget to Beacon Hill lawmakers.
Patrick had to cancel his State of the State address yesterday because of the snowstorm but is required by the Massachusetts Constitution to unveil a budget plan today.
Patrick has already said the 2015 fiscal year budget proposal will include $12 million for nearly 6,000 summer job-training opportunities.
The funding is for a program overseen by YouthWorks — a state-subsidized jobs initiative for at-risk youth ages 14 to 21. The investment represents a $3 million increase over the budget for the current year.
Patrick has scuttled speculation that he might rekindle elements of the $1.8 billion tax package he proposed in last year’s State of the State address, including an income tax increase to finance improvements in transportation and education.
Patrick has said the budget is going to be in balance and will seek to continue “to invest in the things we know make a difference, in education, innovation and infrastructure.”
Officials in the Patrick administration and the Massachusetts House and Senate have already agreed on a single revenue estimate of $24.3 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
That estimate reflects growth of about 4.9 percent above a revised tax revenue estimate of $23.2 billion for the current fiscal year.
The revenue estimate is critical to the budget process.
It guarantees that the various budget proposals all have the same bottom line. The only question left for each branch and the administration is the best way to spend that money.
The state’s revenue outlook has been improving.
As of the end of December, revenues for the state are $281 million above estimates for the 2014 fiscal year.
Once Patrick delivers his budget, it will be up to the House and Senate to debate their own versions of the spending plan and deliver a single compromise budget to Patrick before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
