Gov. Charlie Baker Cutting $98M from Massachusetts Budget

BOSTON, MA — Gov. Charlie Baker is planning $98 million in unilateral cuts to offset what his office says is a projected budget deficit, big plans that immediately drew criticism from Democratic legislative leadership that's previously been more or less on the Republican governor's side.

According to the Boston Globe, Baker's administration outlined the plan Tuesday, under a portion of state law that lets him make mid-year budget cuts without requiring legislative approval, to cut "a wide swath of government programs. They include health care for the poor, suicide prevention, the State Police crime laboratory, literacy programs, state parks, and the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services."

For perspective, as the Globe notes, the state budget in total is $39 billion.

However, after a largely congenial partnership with Democrats in the state Legislature, Baker finds himself facing unusual opposition.

In a statement shared Tuesday, House Speaker Robert DeLeo dismissed Baker's plans, saying that while the state's budget position bears a watchful eye, the mid-year budget cuts are "premature."

Moreover, he wrote, "It seems the Administration is trying to achieve policy objectives that have previously been rejected by the Legislature."

Read the full story from the Boston Globe.

Image via mass.gov