Holliston Rep Opposes Energy and Economic Budget Cuts

From the Mass Legislature:

In the final two days of formal sessions for 2016, Representative Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston) joined her colleagues in overriding many of the governor’s proposed cuts to the FY17 budget and approving conference committee reports on pending legislation.

Among the series of veto overrides the House of Representatives voted on were the line items for Special Education Circuit Breaker reimbursements, Massachusetts Cultural Council funding, and contract assistance for the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority, popular items that ensure that cities and towns in the region are supported by the state for the services they provide.

The legislature also voted to override budget vetoes related to amendments initially filed by Representative Dykema earlier in the budget process. The legislature voted overwhelmingly to restore funding to the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs’ Youth-At-Risk grant program. Department of Public Health funding for Operation House Call, a training program for medical and nursing students to learn how to treat individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, was preserved by another near-unanimous vote of 155-2. Local priorities, including $50,000 for downtown safety improvements in Holliston and $50,000 for the Westborough 300th anniversary celebrations, were preserved as well.

“I am grateful for the hard work that my colleagues, issue advocates, and state agency officials have done to produce a responsible and comprehensive budget in these tough fiscal times,” Representative Dykema said. “The input I receive from my constituents on the critical education and local aid programs that our district relies on is particularly important to me as well.”

Representative Dykema also spearheaded an effort with Representative Dave Rogers (D-Cambridge) to advocate for an override to the proposed $1.5 million reduction to the Department of Environmental Protection administrative line item. The legislature voted 133-24 to override the governor’s reduction.

“Ensuring that DEP is fully equipped to preserve our clean air and water is of critical importance,” said Rep. Dykema. “Providing the necessary funding for the department to meet its responsibilities is essential for protecting both our natural resources and our economic vitality here in Massachusetts.”

Several sections of the FY17 budget related to mandated insurance coverage for long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease were also preserved in the final budget. Representative David Linsky (D-Natick) initially filed the language, supported by Rep. Dykema and other MetroWest legislators, to ensure access to care for the many individuals in the MetroWest region afflicted by Lyme.

Over the course of the weekend, the legislature also voted to adopt conference committee reports on bills related to clean energy, economic development, municipal modernization, and transportation network companies.

The clean energy omnibus authorized solicitations of 1600MW of offshore wind energy and 9.45 million MWh of hydropower, augmenting progress made by solar legislation earlier in the year to increase and diversify Massachusetts’s clean energy profile.

“Investing in clean energy now is one of the smartest decisions we can make for our economic and environmental future,” said Rep. Dykema.

Economic development and municipal modernization omnibus bills emphasized improving infrastructure and increasing efficiency on the local level. The economic development bill authorized over $600 million in bonding, primarily for infrastructure improvements and workforce development programs. The municipal modernization bill works to streamline local government operations and reduce costs by updating regulations with modern best practices. One important provision of the municipal modernization bill supported by Representative Dykema was the creation of a local option fund for unanticipated special education costs for cities and towns, allowing localities to better prepare for the unexpected.

“Strong economies like ours are built from the ground up,” said Rep. Dykema. “The omnibus legislation we passed this session reflects a growing understanding that long-term development takes planning, attention to detail, and creative, holistic thinking.”

The final bills will now be sent to the governor for his signature.

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