Budget and Grants

House Passes Economic Development Bill

Bold Bill Will Invest in Housing and Legalize Sports Betting (BOSTON) – Faced with an economy buffeted by COVID-19, State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined Speaker DeLeo and their colleagues in the House to pass a bill to give a shot in the arm to the state’s economy by legalizing sports gaming, facilitating housing development and providing more than $450 million in state funding to spur growth. “Important sectors of our Main Street economies, such as the restaurant, arts, culture and tourism industries, have been the most adversely affected by the pandemic,” said Representative Joan Meschino. “This bill provides needed relief and investments to overcome massive challenges posed by the pandemic, get people back to their work, and place the Commonwealth on a longer-term path toward an economically sustainable future.” The bill pairs initiatives to improve the housing market for buyers while providing protections for tenants. It authorizes the Housing . . . Read More

2020-09-09T11:55:37-04:00August 14th, 2020|Budget and Grants|

House Unanimously Passes $1.3 Billion for Community Climate Resiliency Projects

This week, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) voted with her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass legislation investing $1.3 billion to help cities and towns across Massachusetts to fund infrastructure projects aimed at fighting climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  The legislation establishes a $1 billion, 10-year grant program – known as GreenWorks – to fund clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate change resiliency measures that cut greenhouse gas emissions, fortify infrastructure and reduce municipal costs. The legislation also invests $325 million in other municipal green projects.  “Ensuring that municipalities have access to funds for mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency is crucial as we combat climate change,” said Representative Meschino. “The investments GreenWorks makes in every town unlocks their potential to lead the way.” Modeled after the state’s MassWorks program, GreenWorks funds projects that improve climate preparedness and resiliency, promote or produce clean energy or energy efficiency, build . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:22:58-04:00July 26th, 2020|Budget and Grants, Energy + Environment|

House Passes Measure to Provide More than $1 Billion in Federal Reimbursement for COVID-19 Needs

BOSTON – This week, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) and her colleagues in the House of Representatives passed a supplemental budget to facilitate allocation of federal CARES Act funding to reimburse communities hard-hit by COVID-19. The spending measure follows the April passage in Congress of the federal CARES Act, which provides federal reimbursement funds for the state to expend on items related to COVID-19. The supplemental budget directs funds to address vital needs including personal protective equipment, field hospitals and contact tracing.  “The House allocation of federal COVID-19 funds is about more than reimbursing the state and our communities for COVID-19 costs,” said Representative Meschino. “It is about shaping investments in public health initiatives and supporting our front-line workers who keep us healthy and safe throughout the pandemic and beyond.” The spending bill includes, among other items: $350 Million for personal protective equipment costs across the Commonwealth; $139 Million for increased . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:25:37-04:00June 26th, 2020|Budget and Grants, Public Health|

House Passes Legislation to Ensure the Fiscal Health of the Commonwealth

BOSTON – During its historic first remote voting formal session today, State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) along with her colleagues in the House of Representatives passed legislation to authorize necessary state borrowing during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The legislation, An Act to Facilitate the Delay of the Income Tax Filing Deadline, authorizes the State Treasurer to borrow in anticipation of tax receipts by the end of Fiscal Year 2020 and to repay those sums by June 30, 2021. This action is necessary due to the delay in tax revenue as a result of the extended deadlines of income tax filings and payments to July 15, 2020, which were extended because of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The session, which included remote voting, was the first held following the passage of Emergency Rules enabling Members to vote and debate safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill will now . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:32:33-04:00May 7th, 2020|Budget and Grants|

Update: Massachusetts Legislature Enacts Historic Education Funding Bill

BOSTON – This week, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) and her colleagues in both chambers of the Massachusetts Legislature voted unanimously to enact The Student Opportunity Act. This legislation, providing an unprecedented $1.5 billion new investment in Massachusetts K-12 public education system, ensures public schools have the resources to provide high-quality education to students across the state, regardless of zip code or income level. Assuming inflation, over the seven-year implementation timeline the bill will provide an estimated $2.2 billion in support of public schools. The Student Opportunity Act provides significant support to school districts that serve English learners and high concentrations of low-income students. At the same time, all school districts across the Commonwealth will benefit from updates to the existing funding formula, along with increased state investments in vital education aid programs such as special education transportation, school construction and renovation, and the 21st Century Education Program.  “The Student Opportunity . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:33:20-04:00November 22nd, 2019|Budget and Grants|

House Passes Historic Education Funding Bill

BOSTON – This week, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) and her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed historic legislation to invest $1.5 billion in the Commonwealth’s public education system.  Known as The Student Opportunity Act, the legislation invests funding to support the needs of English learners and school districts that serve high concentrations of low-income students in order to help school districts address persistent disparities in student achievement.  In addition, school districts across the Commonwealth will benefit from updates to the existing funding formula, along with increased state investment in other vital education aid programs such as transportation, guidance and psychological services, school buildings and special education.   “The Student Opportunity Act will be a transformative investment in public education, in particular, for children living in poverty,” said Representative Meschino. “The legislation takes the first steps towards building equity in our K-12 education system and commits the Commonwealth’s support . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:34:37-04:00October 25th, 2019|Budget and Grants|

House Passes $135 Million Supplemental Budget; Heating Assistance, Homeless Shelters Among Key Initiatives Funded

(BOSTON) – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass a supplemental budget which addresses multiple areas including heating assistance, enhanced support for victims of sexual assault, and programs to help those battling homelessness. The spending bill, approximately $135 million, highlights the House’s ongoing commitment in support of critical social service investments while balancing fiscal prudence; this practice has resulted in Massachusetts prioritizing its most vulnerable residents while maintaining a strong and diverse economy. “With state residents still facing winter weather, this supplemental budget provides vital funds for heating assistance,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop).“I thank Chairman Michlewitz and the members of the House for passing this legislation which provides funding for a number of important areas.” “Legislators are making meaningful investments in much needed services for residents in the Commonwealth, setting a good tone for this year’s budget process,” said . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:36:31-04:00March 1st, 2019|Budget and Grants|

Coastal Resilience Grants Awarded in Hull

HULL – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) welcomed Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton to the Hull Lifesaving Museum on August 1, 2018 for his announcement of the Office of Coastal Zone Management’s Coastal Resilience Grants. Across the state, the grants will provide $3.2 million in funding to support local efforts to proactively plan for and adapt to coastal storm and climate change impacts, including storm surge, flooding, erosion and sea level rise. CZM’s Coastal Resilience Grant Program provides financial and technical support for innovative local efforts to increase awareness and understanding of climate impacts, plan for changing conditions, redesign vulnerable community facilities and infrastructure and implement non-structural measures to increase natural storm damage protection, flood and erosion control and community resilience. Grants can be used for planning, public outreach and feasibility assessment and analysis of shoreline vulnerability, as well as for design, permitting, construction and monitoring of . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:39:04-04:00August 27th, 2018|Budget and Grants, Energy + Environment|

Legislature Passes Balanced Budget; Targets Local Aid, Education and Opioid Epidemic

(BOSTON) – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the Legislature on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, to enact a $41.88 billion Massachusetts state budget for FY19. The budget features no new taxes or fees and directs a $367 million deposit into the Stabilization Fund to ensure the Commonwealth’s fiscal health and to protect Massachusetts’ future. The budget also prioritizes our cities and towns, education and those most in need of help. In recognition of the state’s strong support for education, the Legislature approved an unprecedented $4.9 billion in Chapter 70 education funding, which represents an increase of 3.4 percent over the previous fiscal year and increases funding for teacher health care costs by $39 million. Education funding also features $319.4 million to fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker, $90 million for Charter School Reimbursement, $68.9 million for Regional School Transportation and $5 million to fund the Preschool Partnership Initiative. The . . . Read More

2020-08-29T10:39:39-04:00July 26th, 2018|Budget and Grants, Other Topics, Public Health|
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