Legislature Sends ’09 Budget Heads to Governor

Sen. Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre) announced July 3 that the Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) Conference Committee filed its report for consideration by the House of Representatives and the Senate in full formal sessions.

As Vice Chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Senator Brewer has been involved in the budget writing process, which began in January. Shortly after the adoption of the Senate budget on May 22, 2008, Senator Brewer was appointed by the Senate President to serve on the six-member Conference Committee.

“The compromise budget is the result of the 6-member Conference Committee, which I was a member of,” said Brewer. “I believe that this budget provides for important programs, while recognizing the expected downturn in revenues in Fiscal Year 2009. I was honored and privileged to serve on the Conference Committee and I believe that the final product represents the interests of Central and Western Massachusetts well.”

Of all the items included in the $28.22 billion budget for FY09, Senator Brewer points to the new name for the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) – now to be known as the Department of Developmental Services – as the singular most important item. During Senate budget debates, Senate Majority Leader Frederick Berry, along with Senator Brewer and Senator Karen Spilka, filed an amendment to change the name of DMR. Making the case on the floor to his colleagues, Senator Brewer urged them to join the 43 other states in the nation that have purged the word “retardation” from official state use.

“It is offensive and unacceptable language in this day and age, and I am proud to have worked with Senator Berry and Senator Spilka in effectuating this change.”

Locally, the budget includes $200,000 for Old Sturbridge Village, which Senator Brewer earmarked for the museum during the Senate’s budget debates. With the infusion of new money, Old Sturbridge Village will focus on marketing efforts to increase the number of international visitors to the museum. The declining value of the US dollar has increased the affordability of travel to the United States and this new campaign will capitalize on this recent trend. To date, Old Sturbridge Village has had a 33% increase in attendance compared with last year’s figures.

Other tourism initiatives include $20,000 for the Palmer Youth Program; $25,000 for the 350^th Anniversary of Quaboag Plantation; $35,000 for the Monson Bellmen Museum; $50,000 for the restoration of 2 one-room schoolhouses in Petersham; and $300,000 for the Sturbridge Heritage Preservation Partnership. The Palmer Winter Festival is also earmarked to receive $10,000. For nearly 15 years, the Towns of Palmer and Monson had sponsored a Santa Train to run between the two towns on a December weekend. The train featured treats, hot chocolate, and the guest of honor, Santa Claus. The train came to a screeching halt last year due to a change in ownership of the railroad and without the necessary funds to purchase liability insurance, the towns had to cancel the ride and instead hosted a “Meet and Greet” with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at the Palmer Town Library.

“I was very upset when I learned the Santa Train was to be cancelled last year. This train is often the first introduction to Santa that area children have,” said Senator Brewer. “I made several phone calls to the railroads, speaking with people in Vermont all the way down to Florida. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach a suitable arrangement in time. It is my hope that with this money, the Towns will be able to secure the proper insurance in time to run the Santa Train.”

Local non-profit groups are also slated to receive some assistance from the state in the FY09 Budget. Mass Citizen Advocacy will receive $50,000 for the second year in a row to support the work of its advocates, who assist disabled persons of all ages with day-to-day tasks, provide emotional support, and ensure individuals receive the proper care and services to which they are entitled. Citizen advocacy programs have been established in six communities across the state: Cape Cod, Fall River, North Quabbin, Springfield, Gardner, and Worcester.

The Athol Area YMCA will also receive support from the Commonwealth in FY09, as Senator Brewer was able to earmark $50,000 for the organization during the Senate’s budget debate. While several other YMCAs and YWCAs throughout the state have benefited from similar earmarks, FY09 marks the first year that the Athol Area YMCA will receive this funding. This YMCA was founded in 1859 and a facility was initially constructed in 1911 and expanded in 1970. Each year, the Athol Area YMCA provides more than $20,000 in financial aid for membership usage. Its facilities include an indoor pool, gymnasium, classrooms, indoor childcare playground, multi-purpose rooms, Nautilus/Cardio-Vascular Center, 20-room Resident Center and library. With an estimated service-area population of 25,000, more than 1,000 children from primarily low-to-modest income families use the 31,000 square foot facility each day. The infusion of funding from the state will allow the YMCA to offset increases in heating costs for the upcoming winter, as well as support its current programming.

“The Athol Area YMCA is a cornerstone of the North Quabbin community,” said Senator Brewer. “The facility provides valuable, educational opportunities for local kids, getting them off the street and into supervised programs. This funding will help support these important programs.”

Other organizations slated to receive funding include $5,000 for the food bank run by the Winchendon Community Action Center; $10,000 for the William J. Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center in Ashburnham; $25,000 for the annual maintenance of the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial; $50,000 for Quabbin Mediation in Athol; $50,000 for Community In Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)’s Senior FarmShare program, which provides elderly residents with fresh produce from local farms; $100,000 for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program in Orange; $150,000 for the Central Massachusetts Veterans Outreach Center in Worcester; $150,000 for the Templeton Developmental Center retained revenue account; and $200,000 for the North Quabbin Community Coalition to support the work of the 4 community coalitions throughout the state.

A strong advocate for public safety initiatives, Senator Brewer has been working with the Worcester District Attorney’s Office and Anna Maria College to secure funds to support a Victim Survivor Care Plan for victims and family members in cases of homicide and violent crimes in post-conviction and unresolved cases. The Senate’s final budget included $45,000 for this initiative, which will educate victims and families about the investigative process and legal proceedings and offer programs to assist victims in managing their personal and professional lives. Best-practice training will also be provided to victim-witness advocates, assistant district attorneys, attorneys and other law enforcement professionals to promote awareness and understanding of the specialized needs and challenges of victims, their siblings and family members.

In addition, Senator Brewer advocated on behalf of the following public safety items:

· $50,000 for the Molly Bish Institute for Child Safety at Mount Wachusett Community College.

· $70,000 for the Town of Hubbardston to purchase and install a generator at its emergency shelter.

· $25,000 for the Quabbin Regional School District to develop a Quabbin Emergency Preparedness Plan.

Senator Brewer was also successful in convincing his fellow conferees to defer to the Senate’s inclusion of $100,000 for a Quinsigamond Community College satellite campus in Southern Worcester County. This earmark was $50,000 higher than the House of Representative’s appropriation and will allow the College to assess the potential for delivery of satellite public higher education services as a means to increase educational attainment of South County residents and related stimulation of economic development with the region.

A strong proponent of the environment, Senator Brewer led the effort in the Senate to restore funding for the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. During the fiscal crisis in 2003, Heritage was removed from the state’s budget and since then, the Program has pieced together scarce funding through state bonds, federal grants, and voluntary contributions from state income tax forms. The Senate budget restored the account with an appropriation of $250,000.

"My fellow Conference Committee members recognized the importance of this funding," said Senator Stephen Brewer. "While the Natural Heritage Program has managed to operate during these past several years without a consistent funding source, it literally is in jeopardy of extinction. The leadership of Senate President Murray and Chairman Panagiotakos has been crucial for the preservation of these monies and I thank them for their support of this program."

Senator Brewer also advocated for the following environmental programs:

· $50,000 for Agricultural Fair prizes.

· $100,000 to support 4-H activities.

· $118,308 for a drinking water equity grant for the Town of Rutland.

· $200,000 for the Buy-Local Campaign, which encourages consumers to buy fresh produce from local farms.

· Language extending the sunset date for the Water Supply protection Trust from January 15, 2009 to January 15, 2011

Finally, as a member of the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Caucus, Senator Brewer highlighted the inclusion of language giving the RTAs the full backing of the Commonwealth when incurring debt. This language is expected to save the RTAs between a half to a full percentage point on the interest rate. The following summarizes expected savings for the RTAs serving the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin District:

· $300,000 by the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA).

· $500,000 by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA).

· $200,000 by the Montachusett Area Regional Transit (MART).

"I am thrilled that the Conference Report includes this language, which will save our Regional Transit Authorities - and our taxpayers - so much money over the long run," stated Senator Brewer. "The Caucus originally sought to pass this language as a stand alone bill, but the budget has provided us with another vehicle to accomplish our end goal. I remain committed to advocating on behalf of the RTAs, which provide vital access to transportation, especially in rural areas."

The Conference Report is expected to be adopted by both the House of Representatives and the Senate during formal sessions scheduled today. The bill will then be sent to the Governor, who will have ten days to sign the bill or veto items within it.

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