House Minority
Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) released the following statement
after Governor Maura Healey’s Fiscal Year 2026 state budget proposal was filed
today:
“Governor Healey has filed a Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal that increases spending by 2.6% over the current fiscal year but does so by relying on almost $1 billion in one-time revenues, at a time when we can ill afford to embark on a path of untenable state spending increases absent a reliable funding source. The continued financial drain caused by the unchecked emergency assistance shelter program, coupled with the ongoing uncertainty over the robustness of monthly tax revenues, makes it imperative that the state set clear and sustainable priorities to protect the interests of the taxpayers and ensure that state government is operating both efficiently and effectively. During the previous budget cycle, Governor Healey was forced to implement mid-year 9C cuts due to lower-than-anticipated revenues, causing major disruption in state programs and local projects that were relying on that funding. That is a situation we should strive not to repeat. The Administration is fortunate to have had surplus Millionaires Tax revenues at its disposal to help pay for various transportation and education-related initiatives, but we cannot expect that trend to continue, as it is only putting off the day of reckoning. Now is not the time to undertake significant spending commitments, but to focus on meaningful reforms, including the series of legislative and administrative proposals recently put forth by the House and Senate Republican caucuses to restore fiscal certainty, accountability and stability to the state’s emergency shelter program. The members of the House Republican Caucus look forward to reviewing the Governor’s budget proposal in greater detail and actively participating in the upcoming Ways and Means hearing process to gain a better understanding of her plans and how we can improve upon them.”
