Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children

 

After weeks of delay, the six-member conference committee has released a fiscal year 2020, $43.1 billion state budget for Massachusetts.

The budget was bolstered by increased tax collections, and it includes a plan to control pharmaceutical drug costs, according to the State House News Service.

Where the House and Senate differ on the allocations for early education and care line items, this budget includes the higher funding amounts. This includes a $20 million rate increase (from the House budget), $5 million in preschool grants (from the Senate budget), and $5 million in workforce development grants (from the House). 

The Legislature passed the budget on Monday, July 22. Governor Baker now has 10 days to sign the budget into law. He can also make line item vetoes. 

For more information contact Titus DosRemedios at tdosremedios@strategiesforchildren.org, (617) 330-7387.

For updates and a complete list of early education line items, visit Strategies’ state budget webpage.