On Thursday, May 22, after months of work and four days of debate, my colleagues and I passed the Senate’s fiscal year 2027 (FY27) budget. You can watch my opening remarks here.
Over the course of the debate, Senators adopted over 517 amendments, and took 26 roll call votes, resulting in a $63.37 billion budget proposal.
The Senate’s FY27 budget proposal reflects our shared commitment to meet this moment with urgency, compassion, skill, and resolve.
As residents and communities across Massachusetts face rising costs and constant uncertainty, this proposal makes critical investments in food security, health care, education, and municipal support.
And while we cannot fully address the hardship stemming from federal cuts, this budget works to protect essential services and to guard against further harm. This is a budget that delivers real support for the people and communities of the Commonwealth.
Up next, a conference committee will work to reconcile differences between the House and Senate budgets before a final version heads to Governor Maura Healey for her signature.
You can watch my remarks from the Senate floor here. I also filmed additional videos on the education funding in the budget, health care spending, and support for municipalities, before giving you my thoughts at the close of debate.
Local priorities
My team and I secured funding for programs and organizations working across our district, including:
- $250,000 for Baystate Health to operate a Family Medicine Residency program in Greenfield.
- $105,000 to support efforts addressing the primary care crisis in western and north central Massachusetts.
- $100,000 to improve the delivery of emergency medical services in Franklin County.
- $75,000 to support Manna Community Kitchen’s work fighting hunger and the emergency shelter at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Northampton.
- $75,000 for Stone Soup Cafe in Greenfield.
- $70,000 to support the Franklin County Community Meals Program.
- $50,000 for repairs and improvements to the King Street Bridge in the Town of Royalston.
- $50,000 to support a housing-first approach to addressing homelessness through the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness.
- $25,000 for accessibility improvements and repairs at the Wendell Meetinghouse.
Support for municipalities
As our municipalities grapple with rising costs and impossibly tight budgets, the Senate invested deeply in our cities and towns by committing a total of over $1.3 billion for unrestricted local aid, which is funding that the Legislature sends directly to cities and towns in the Commonwealth to help address financial burdens.
Support for K-12 Education
As our schools, cities, towns, students, families, and educators grapple with ever-straining budgets, the Senate makes key investments into K-12 education, including:
- Leading with $20 million for Rural School Aid;
- Increasing minimum aid for school districts to $160 per pupil;
- Allocating $652.6 million for the Special Education (SPED) Circuit Breaker;
- Appropriating $114.2 million for regional school transportation; and,
- Reconvening the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) to examine the current K-12 funding formula.
Support for Food Security
As Massachusetts residents grapple with the impacts of the federal One Big [Brutal] Bill, the Senate is prioritizing funding to combat food insecurity, including:
- $148 million for Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) caseworkers to support staffing needs to protect program integrity, maintain access to SNAP food benefits and ensure compliance with new federal SNAP requirements;
- $55 million for Emergency Food Assistance (MEFAP) to assist residents in navigating historic levels of food insecurity; and,
- $29.7 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to support local farmers and ensure access to healthy food options.
Turning 22 Commission
I am also happy to share that a policy I also filed as a bill improving transition planning for young adults with disabilities as they age out of youth services into adult systems is included in the proposal that passed the Senate.
Full summary of budget investments and policies
Read here for a comprehensive summary of the funding and provisions included in the Senate’s FY26 budget.
