Galvin announces veto overrides, sales tax holiday

Representative William C. Galvin (D-Canton) and his colleagues in the House passed numerous budget overrides and voted for an August sales tax holiday weekend. The overrides fund budget items for fiscal year 2016 that were vetoed by Governor Baker and will ensure that local programs, education funding, and economic development initiatives are adequately funded. This is the final action for the FY16 budget and each override required two-thirds approval in the legislature.

Recognizing the importance of providing statewide access to full-day kindergarten, the legislature overrode a cut to kindergarten expansion grants, restoring $18.6 million for kindergarten grants that the governor had reduced to $1 million.

Other successful overrides included $5.2 million for the University of Massachusetts, as well as funding for libraries, community colleges and economic development programs. Funding for the Trailside Museum and Weather Observatory and Science Center, both located at the Blue Hills Reservation, was also restored. The Trailside Museum will receive $500,000, which totals its annual operating budget, and the Weather Observatory and Science Center will receive $100,000.

“I am pleased that the legislature voted to override the governor’s vetoes that decreased funding to crucial programs that the residents of Massachusetts depend upon,” said Galvin. “I am also glad that the funding that was stripped from the Trailside Museum and the Blue Hills Observatory were restored. These two institutions are an asset to our area and a wonderful resource for adults and kids alike.”

Additional overrides include:

* $500,000 for a prostate cancer awareness and education program

* More than $2.2 million for substance abuse treatment programs across the commonwealth

* Restoration of funding for unaccompanied homeless youth housing services

* $3 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program for a total of $82.9M to support 900 to 1,050 new vouchers for families at risk of homelessness

* $2 million for the Early Education and Care waitlist for a total of $12M to take 2,000 children off the waitlist for these critical services.

The sales tax holiday was also approved last week and is scheduled for August 15 and 16. It passed the House with a vote of 136-20.

Submitted by the office of Representative Bill Galvin

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Aug 7 2015. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.