Brookline Rep. Tommy Vitolo Speaks Out On State’s FY 2023 Budget

BROOKLINE, MA — The Massachusetts House of Representatives on Thursday released its budget for Fiscal Year 2023.

The initial budget includes investments in equity and justice related programs, funding for education from early childhood to higher education, and environmental protections. Funds are also set aside in the Stabilization Fund, which is estimated to reach $6.55 billion in the next fiscal year.

“I am excited to see a House budget that further prioritizes funding for progressive policies and programs in Brookline and across the Commonwealth,” said Brookline Representative Tommy Vitolo in a statement. “Thank you to Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz, and my colleagues in the House for their work to create a budget that makes our state more equitable, invests in our education system, and protects our environment.”

The House budget prioritizes equity and justice related programs by investing $853 million in housing, $95.19 million in criminal justice reform, and $259.4 million in behavioral and developmental health.

To remove barriers to communication services for incarcerated individuals, the budget requires the Department of Correction, Sheriffs, and the Department of Youth Services to provide phone calls, video calls, and other electronic communication free of charge. It also eliminates probation and parole fees to reduce the burden on individuals who are re-entering the community.

"We are on our way towards filling some of the holes that were created during the pandemic with a $49.6 billion spending package that we think addresses a lot of the needs, and it's based on state tax collections that have been very strong with a lot of help from the federal government," said Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano in a statement.

The budget invests billions of dollars in education from early education through to higher education. A total of $7.982 billion was allocated for K-12 education through Chapter 70, the special education circuit breaker, charter school aid, and regional school and homeless student transportation.

The House of Representatives also carved out $110 million to continue providing free school lunches to all students, a program that the Federal government funded for the past two years but will lapse this summer. An additional $912.1 million was dedicated to early education and childcare. State universities received $326 million and community colleges received $337 million.

"This budget shows commitment to environmental agencies, and we are grateful to Chair Michlewitz and the House for continuing to provide critical funding for the understaffed agencies, particularly the newly created environmental justice line item," said Casey Bowers, Executive Director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund, in a statment.

A total of $349.7 million is dedicated to environmental services with $1.3 million dedicated to environmental justice. The budget sets aside $4.7 million for climate adaptation and preparedness, $72.8 million to increase the 2021 climate law implementation and violation enforcement, and $78.7 million for Department of Conservation and Recreation State Parks.

Representatives have until Friday to submit amendments before debate on the budget begins on April 25.