House signs off on $167M in new spending
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The House unanimously approved $167.6 million in new spending for the current budget year on Wednesday that House Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey described as a "bill-paying exercise."
The legislation now moves to the Senate, which could take it up as soon as Thursday. House members complied with Dempsey's appeal to resist amending the bill in the hopes of getting it quickly to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk. Baker said earlier this week that some accounts to be replenished by the budget bill could start to run out of money in early April.
The midyear spending bill includes $25 million for public counsel services, $18 million for county sheriffs, $14.9 million for the Department of Children and Families, $41 million for emergency family shelter and services programs and $10.9 million for UMass collective bargaining agreements.
"I would ask that we move forward favorably on moving this to the Senate to deal with those accounts. We are resisting adding anything additional to this proposal today, either spending or language, because we want to move it quickly through the process," Dempsey told the members
Citing "run out dates" on certain programs and accounts, Dempsey said, "For that reason we would like to ask you to work with us with respect to amendments and keep it pretty straightforward."
Lawmakers, mostly Democrats, promptly withdrew 25 amendments that had been filed. House Minority Leader Brad Jones also withdrew his three amendments.
Among the amendments that were withdrawn, Rep. Patricia Haddad had been seeking $75,000 for State Police overtime costs in the Bristol Country District Attorney's office associated with the murder trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez; Rep. Harold Naughton had filed for $1 million to implement a statewide port security camera network that would have been reimbursed by the federal government; and Rep. Diana DiZoglio sought language that would have allowed firefighters to fundraise while wearing their uniforms on duty.
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