Roy Joins Spending Fray With Local Priorities

House Speaker Ron Mariano (left) and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz (right) roll out their fiscal year 2026 budget proposal to the press on April 16, 2025.

Chris Lisinski/SHNS

The top House Democrat has described the challenges of budgeting in an uncertain fiscal environment and warned his caucus that they cannot expect to replace every disappearing federal dollar with one from the state.

But many rank-and-file lawmakers still seem to want to play the role of financial cavalry, at least based on the ideas they have for the upcoming budget debate.

Representatives filed 1,650 amendments to the House Ways and Means Committee's $61.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2026, most of which seek to add more spending to a proposal that already envisions sizable growth. Debate on the budget is planned for next week.

That's the highest number of amendments heading into a House budget debate in at least 14 years, topping the prior high of 1,566 for the fiscal 2024 budget.

State Rep. Jeff Roy, whose district includes Franklin and most of Medway, also pitched several amendments, most involving local spending:

Amendment
#441 to H4000

Relative
to supporting the Children’s Museum of Franklin

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2, item
0640-0030 by adding the following: “that not less than $50,000 be
expended for the Children’s Museum of Franklin;”

Amendment
#443 to H4000

Promoting
economic development through the Franklin Downtown Partnership

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2, in item
7008-1116, by adding the following: “that not less than $25,000
shall be expended for the Franklin Downtown Partnership, Inc. to
promote economic development in the city known as the town of
Franklin;”

Amendment
#455 to H4000

Relative
to the Franklin Food Pantry

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2, in item
2511-0107, by adding the following: “that not less than $50,000
shall be expended for the Franklin Food Pantry, Incorporated for the
prevention of food insecurity;”

Amendment
#456 to H4000

Relative
to the Medway Community Farm

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2, in item
2511-0107, by adding the following: “that not less than $25,000
shall be expended for Medway Community Farm, Inc. in the town of
Medway;”.

Amendment
#457 to H4000

Relative
to the Medway Village Food Pantry

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2, in item
2511-0107, by adding the following: “that not less than $50,000
shall be expended for the Medway Village Food Pantry, Incorporated
building project;”.

Amendment
#458 to H4000

Relative
to the Genocide Education Trust Fund

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2 by
inserting after item 7002-0017 the following item:

“1595-0116
For the Genocide Education Trust Fund, as established in section
2MMMMM of chapter 29 of the General Laws, inserted by section 1 of
chapter 98 of the acts of 2021; provided, that said funds shall be
distributed by the commissioner of the department of elementary and
secondary education for purposes related to the instruction of middle
and high school students on the history of genocide, including but
not limited to: (i) development of curricular materials detailing the
underlying causes, international reaction, progression and aftermath
of genocide; and (ii) professional development training, including,
but not limited to, the provision of trainings, seminars, conferences
and materials, for educators to use in the teaching of
genocide………………………………………………$3,000,000”

Additional
co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #458 to H4000

Relative
to the Genocide Education Trust Fund

Amendment
#460 to H4000

Relative
to the payment of wages of certain nonprofit organizations

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill by adding the following
section:

SECTION
XX: “Section 148 of Chapter 149 of the General Laws is hereby
amended by inserting after the words “engaged in agricultural work”
when they first appear, the phrase “employees of nonprofit
institutions of higher education and employees of nonprofit
organizations that comprise health care delivery systems."

And
further amends the bill by adding the following new section:

SECTION
XX: "With respect to any claim or cause of action seeking
any legal or equitable remedy or relief commenced on or after July 1,
2024, nonprofit institutions of higher education and nonprofit
organizations that comprise a health care delivery system, shall be
immune from civil liability under any and all such claims alleging
that the institution’s or organization’s payment of wages (a) on
a monthly basis, or (b) pursuant to any written policy, schedule, or
agreement presented to an employee concerning payment for work
performed over an academic term, violated Section 148 of Chapter 149
of the General Laws.

Additional
co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #460 to H4000

Relative
to the payment of wages of certain nonprofit organizations

Amendment
#469 to H4000

Relative
to the Franklin Performing Arts Co

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2, item
0640-0030 by adding the following: “that not less than $100,000 be
expended for the Franklin Performing Arts Co.;”

Amendment
#470 to H4000

Relative
to the support and treatment of individuals with substance use
disorder

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2, in item
0810-1205 , by adding the following: “ that not less than $100,000
shall be expended for the SAFE Coalition, Incorporated to provide
support, education, treatment options and coping mechanisms for those
affected by substance use disorder in the city known as the town of
Franklin;”.

Additional
co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #470 to H4000

Relative
to the support and treatment of individuals with substance use
disorder

Amendment
#1023 to H4000

Relative
to student transportation

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill by adding the following
section:

"SECTION
XXXX". Section 7D of Part I, Title XIV, Chapter 90 is hereby
amended by striking out the first paragraph and replacing it with the
following paragraph:-

Section
7D. The requirements of clauses (1), (2), (3), (5), (7), (8), (9),
(10), (13) and (16) of section seven B shall apply to any motor
vehicle carrying not more than eight passengers in addition to the
operator, used in the business of transporting school pupils for hire
under terms of contract or otherwise, while so used, but not
including any motor vehicle used for not more than five days in case
of emergency. The requirement of clauses (2), (3), (5), (8), (9),
(10), (13) and (16) of section seven B shall apply to any motor
vehicle manufactured after the year 2018, carrying not more than
eight passengers in addition to the operator, used in the business of
transporting school pupils for hire under terms of contract or
otherwise, while so used, but not including any motor vehicle used
for not more than five days in case of emergency. In addition, each
such vehicle shall be required to be equipped with one pair of
adequate chock blocks, a fire extinguisher, three flares in
compliance with United States Motor Vehicle D.O.T. Safety Standard
No. 125, which shall be placed upon the roadway in conformance with
section fourteen B of chapter eighty-five when such vehicle becomes
disabled upon the traveled portion of any way, and seat belts for
each permanent seating accommodation designed and installed in
compliance with applicable United States Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. Each such vehicle manufactured after 2018, used in the
business of transporting school pupils for hire under terms of
contract or otherwise, while so used, shall have a rooftop sign
marked "School Transportation" that is reflective and
magnetic, but does not have to be permanently affixed to the
vehicle. No person shall operate a motor vehicle referred to in
this section, nor knowingly allow any passenger to ride in such
vehicle unless the operator and all passengers are wearing a safety
belt which is properly adjusted and fastened.

Amendment
#1383 to H4000

Early
College Funding

Mr.
Roy of Franklin moves to amend the bill in section 2 by
inserting after item 7009-6600 the following item:

“1596-2413[b]
for the funding of the expansion of the Early College Initiative,
provided that not later than April 1, 2026, the executive office of
education shall provide a summary of the current and planned
allocations of funds through this item to the joint committee on
education and the house and senate committees on ways and means;
provided further, that appropriated funds may be expended for
programs or activities during the summer months………………
$4,000,000”

Additional
co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #1383 to H4000

Early
College Funding

The Beat Goes On

Lawmakers in both branches regularly use the annual budget bill to direct earmarks to projects and organizations in their districts, and some of the proposals this time around reflect a sense of growing strain around the state, particularly amid the prospect of federal cuts.

One amendment (#324) from Somerville Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven would create a $200 million reserve fund designed to "offset" reductions in federal funding at public colleges and universities.

Campus leaders have been worried about significant financial impacts from the Trump administration's approach. UMass President Marty Meehan said this month that a National Institutes of Health push to cap indirect reimbursement costs "would result in a loss of more than $60 million to UMass."

"We've seen a significant slowdown in grant awards from NIH and other federal agencies. This is something that is happening in real time," Meehan said in early April. "They're canceling grants so there are millions of dollars in lost revenue because of these grants. We get almost a billion dollars in aid from the federal government."

Another amendment (#1,062) with possible federal ties came from Andover Rep. Tram Nguyen, who called for an additional $500,000 for agencies that contract with the U.S. Department of State to resettle and support refugees and immigrants.

President Donald Trump has moved to suspend refugee resettlements, prompting a legal fight.

Affordability concerns remain one of the biggest themes on Beacon Hill, and several representatives want to bulk up funding in the budget to help communities and individuals in need navigate financial upheaval.

Rep. Jack Lewis, a Framingham Democrat, filed an amendment (#306) that would increase unrestricted general government aid, or UGGA, that flows to cities and towns by $28 million or 2.2%, matching Healey's proposal.

The House budget draft would level-fund that account in a cost-cutting maneuver while instead boosting other forms of local aid. Cities and towns have long pushed for UGGA to increase each year at least by the same rate as the growth in state tax collections.

Lewis's amendment drew cosponsorship from several Republicans, a fellow Democrat and independent Rep. Susannah Whipps.

Democrat Rep. James Hawkins of Attleboro offered another amendment (#376) that would provide an extra $106 million to municipalities and school districts to help cover student transportation costs.

That money would kick-start a multi-year process of increasing state funding for in-district transportation funding costs, reaching a 100% reimbursement rate by fiscal 2029 and beyond.

"We learned at the Ways and Means hearing on education that every school district across the state is struggling with funding," Hawkins told the News Service. "Here's an easy pocket where we can help alleviate that."

And Rep. Marjorie Decker of Cambridge targeted another problem that's proven particularly thorny in recent years: housing insecurity.

Decker submitted an amendment (#1,276) that would increase the maximum amount of aid someone can collect from the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program from $7,000 per year to $10,000 per year. Her proposal would also make some reforms to the program, including by allowing payments to go to households that have not received a notice to quit or a utility shut-off notice.

Healey's budget sought to empower the administration with more flexibility to adjust RAFT benefit levels. Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz in January signaled an interest in changing the maximum aid available from $7,000 per year to $7,000 over a two-year period, which administration officials estimate could save $40 million.

Decker pointed to the record strain that hit the state's emergency assistance shelter system before a recent decline in caseload as a reason to boost investment in "upstream solutions to prevent people from becoming unhoused, such as the RAFT program."

"Prior to FY24, RAFT benefits were $10,000/household/year. Since the cap was reduced, households who need more than $7,000 in assistance generally are denied access to RAFT if they are unable to show how they would make up the difference from other sources," Decker wrote in a statement to the News Service. "Restoring the cap increases the capacity to help stabilize families and keep them in housing which of course we know is far more economical than trying to help families once they are unhoused."

A pressure point representatives might have to grapple with in debate is how much additional spending top Democrats are willing to accommodate.

The House Ways and Means Committee's budget draft calls for about $580 million less spending than the version Healey proposed, though it still seeks a sizable 6.4% increase over the budget Healey signed last summer.

"In some respects, there's greater need, like in food insecurity and places like that. I think our budget is balanced, it's responsible," House budget chief Aaron Michlewitz said last week. "We feel that it provides the services that are necessary in these times, which is unprecedented in terms of the chaos that we're dealing with from not having a reliable partner on the federal side of things."

Before he and Michlewitz rolled out their proposal, House Speaker Ron Mariano said he "made sure that the members understand that we're treading on thin ice."

"I think everyone's aware of the fact that -- we've said it many times -- this is going to be a tight budget, not to expect business as usual," Mariano said in an April 9 discussion with reporters.

Last year, representatives added nearly $96 million to the budget bill via amendments, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.