Beacon Hill Report
By Stephen A . Boksanski , GIA Legislative Agent Just as the days grow longer and our lawns , shrubs , and trees spring back to life , the Massachusetts Legislature is turning its focus to the budget . Massachusetts runs on a fiscal year that begins on July 1st and ends the following June 30th , so we are getting toward the end of FY24 with an eye on FY25 .
Governor Healey filed her budget plan in January and since then it has been under review by the House Committee on Ways and Means . In April the House will debate hundreds of amendments , usually seeking funding for local projects as well as some policy matters and put their stamp on a budget plan for the upcoming year . The process then moves to the Senate where they will take up their own plan in May . June is when conference committee members will try to reconcile the two budgets with the goal of sending a consensus plan to the Governor prior to July 1 , the first day of FY25 .
Representatives of the GIA , along with the organization ’ s legislative agents , met with lawmakers on Beacon Hill on February 29 , 2024 .
However , it has been several years since the budget was sent to the Governor “ on time ”, which is another sign of the frayed relationship between House and Senate leadership . This cycle will also be different in that revenue growth has slowed and have not hit the benchmarks on which the FY25 budget is based for 9 months . The Commonwealth is still seeing growth in its revenues but nothing like the 8 % -10 % it saw from FY21-FY24 . This has led to the Governor trimming about $ 1 billion in spending in the current fiscal year and scrambling to find ways to make ends meet for FY25 .
Adding to this squeeze between incoming revenues and rising costs is a new need : emergency assistance for thousands of families newly arriving in Massachusetts form other countries . The Legislature is expected to spend roughly $ 1 billion in FY24 , FY25 and FY26 to cover the costs of housing and assistance for this group . Last week the Senate joined the House in trying to put some guardrails in place to limit the exposure on these costs where most families will be limited to 9-months of emergency housing with limited exceptions . This will need to be reconciled by a conference committee before reaching the Governor ’ s desk .
The revenue pinch is new to many in the Legislature who have seen nothing but good times and may be the reason several senator and representatives have decided to not run for re-election this fall , and more announcements could be coming .
We continue to work on supporting legislation ( S . 1221 ) that would bring some balance to the contracts between property owners and snow removal service companies . For the third session in a row , this legislation has received a favorable report by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and is pending before the Senate Committee on Ways and Means . We continue to push the Ways and Means Chair , the Senate President ’ s office , and several members to seek approval and can use all the help we can get .
Please take a minute to find out who represents you at the state level by visiting the Legislature ’ s website ( www . malegislature . gov ). Send them an email asking for their support of S . 1221 , An Act Relative to Snow Removal Service Liability Limitation . As a constituent , these officials will be happy to hear from you and should take action to show their support . We know this situation has led to exorbitant insurance premiums and has been a major drag on profitability . We need to make sure your elected officials understand , so please reach out to them today .
MAA is a proud member of the Green Industry Alliance ( GIA ), along with the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals , Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals , and the Golf Course Superintendents of New England . Russell Holman , MCA , BCMA serves as the MAA representative to the GIA . If you are interested in becoming involved with the GIA ’ s legislative and advocacy activities , please contact the MAA .
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