An additional $500,000 is directed to support maternal and child health programs at the Department of Public Health. The budget also funds $23.7 million for Community Choices to support rate increases for case management and maintains $1.3 million expansion for Elder Mental Health Outreach Teams to reach 40 previously unserved municipalities. Highlights include: This budget also maintains funding for Children's Advocacy Centers; grants to support youth at risk of being involved in violence; Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Services (WIC); programs that support birthing people and families during pregnancy and postpartum periods; School Based Health Programs; and Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Services. Velis said the bill would give teachers nearing retirement the opportunity to retire when it is best for them while at the same time making it possible for districts to hire new teachers. This budget complements the pending capital bond bill. It is also imperative to improve the pipeline of early education and K-12 educators with an emphasis on diversity. The early retirement incentive (ERI) proposal from the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), filed in February by co-sponsors State Senator John C. Velis and State Representative Carol A. Doherty, An Act to provide a retirement enhancement opportunity for certain members of the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System, is identified in the The retirement windows are the summers of 2021 and 2022. 8/5/2022 Weekly Update: While the bulk of todays (long and detailed) email is on the status of the Social Security WEP & GPO legislation, allow me toremind you of todays (Friday) Tele-Town Hall Meetingas well as provide a quick update on developments with the local option for the 5% COLA. Average pension value (2018): $43,642. The MassReconnect program would give more than 1.8 million residents over 25, many of whom are students of color, who have a high school diploma or equivalency, an opportunity for the financial flexibility to consider advancing their education without having to worry about incurring unaffordable debt. In turn, many school districts face difficulties in filling out their staff as salaries of older teachers go up. $70 million in MBTA station improvements and improve accessibility. Driscoll have also been unwavering supporters of womens access to reproductive health care, including abortion care across Massachusetts. Massachusetts agricultural communities, greenspaces, coastlines, and public lands need preservation and support, especially as the climate crisis worsens. New law addresses RetirementPlus system problem Former Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a measure that will help 2,000 or more MTA members who through no fault of their own were prevented from benefiting from the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System's RetirementPlus program. Retired State, County And Municipal Employees Association Of Massachusetts, Governor Healey Files First Budget Proposal, Why Medicare and Social Security Are Sustainable, Yes, Social Security and Medicare still need to be reformed and soon, State treasurers warn of pension fund, 401(k) damage if debt ceiling breached, Senate Passes Landmark Bill to Cut Prescription Drug Prices, Governor Signs Post Retirement Work Waiver Law, As the Red Cross moves to a pricey blood treatment method, hospitals call for more choice, House Approves Largest COLA Increase Since 1992, House FY23 Budget Contains 3% State and Teacher COLA, GIC launches health plan procurement process. "I don't want a situation where the bill that they get is so close to the benefit increase that it's a net wash," the Bedford Democrat said. This budget proposes to fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker at $503 million, a $63 million or 14 percent increase over fiscal year 2023, to support the fourth-year phase-in of out-of-district transportation cost reimbursement provided for in the Student Opportunity Act. endobj <>/Metadata 330 0 R/ViewerPreferences 331 0 R>> This budget continues to demonstrate that commitment with an investment of $20 million for Family and Adolescent Reproductive Heath, $500,000 for Contraceptive ACCESS Education, and $2 million for Reproductive Health Access Infrastructure and Security to support community-based organizations that help with costs and logistics of abortion care and licensed abortion and sexual health providers. The budget supports subsidized child care for roughly 55,000 eligible children taking advantage of available slots in EEC licensed programs. These investments will be described in more detail in the coming education and transportation sections. 8 jna, 2022; similarities between indigenous media and library; . $100 million for highway bridge preservation. To meet this climate crisis and capture the benefits for Massachusetts, Gov. WEEKLY REPORT FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023: Between the Presidents Day holiday and school vacation week, there is not much to report in terms of legislative or health insurance news. The House 1 budget proposal funds the Department of Mental Health at $1.12 billion, a $96.3 million (9 percent) increase over fiscal year 2023. This package also proposes to increase the current rental deduction, currently capped at 50 percent of rent up to $3,000, to $4,000 at a cost of $40 million helping to offset the high cost of housing for 880,000 renters. The proposal was created by the Massachusetts Teachers Association as a way to provide an early retirement opportunity for teachers who have struggled to adapt to the remote teaching model and those who are at high-risk for COVID-19 and do not want to return to or continue teaching in-person while also giving opportunities to younger teachers in need of work. <> In the coming weeks the administration will be requesting supplemental funding for DTA to augment staffing in light of these caseload trends and the sunsetting of federal program administrative waivers. $5 million for Subsidy Navigation for Families, $2 million for Summer Step-up Program to support children entering kindergarten and early elementary school with high-quality summer learning experiences, $10 million for EEC Provider Higher Education Opportunities to support and expand the early education and care workforce, $1.5 million for trauma-informed profession development of early educators to better support the children in care, $18 million for the Community College SUCCESS fund, an increase of $4 million. Our companies cant find workers with the skills they need to grow and expand. But, she said, over the past year and a half, "this time of pandemic teaching has felt like five years. To provide more access for students to career and college readiness programming, House 1 includes $46.9 million for Early College and Innovation Pathways, a $14.4 million expansion over fiscal year 2023. Holyoke is set to replace its long-term care facility by 2027 and is in the design phase of the project with DCAMM. This week, we said goodbye to our friend and colleague Chris Condon. It is critical to continue to close achievement and opportunity gaps that exist in the K-12 education system to ensure that every student, regardless of their background, can access the same high-quality learning experience. The fiscal year 2024 budget invests in the continued implementation of new behavioral health services in the Commonwealth initiated in fiscal year 2023, including the 24/7 clinically-staffed Behavioral Health Help Line that launched in January 2023. 2 Meter, 5/4 Wave Antenna Revealed; EFHW HT antenna functions without additional counterpoise; Adding 0. teachers to purchase up to 10 years of . To ensure predictability, a cap would be established on recurring spending with revenue collected above the cap used to support one-time investments in pilot programs, start-up grants, studies, one-time capital investments such as bridges, railroad right-of-way improvements and other non-recurring projects. "For the past 18 years I've been the chair of the English department at Framingham High, and I've hired three to six teachers each year and typically have 50 to 100 applicants for each position," Will Cook told Gordon. x\_o8GihIE8lIXJN{7CluecI$g892#9>}opJhCNN{Q1N(Qd?0QAwQeJP)EShwv$*~PyY E0[YP~ /#%/p'*I[dY%D{4vWA#Q) ^ { (/[@H2n qNAt9F0 MF8005py3M^,1%)#ew1P;G(Vv=(;#N-D'm4KvN`1$"OM{{;}8T+"j?`TA#0P5nSJ9X*bLSR)6XL#]zWY-@ AX e Additional funding to be proposed in a supplemental budget being filed by the administration will triple the states investment in the Clean Energy Center. Anybody who is at a higher risk for morbidity due to COVID should be able to retire and we have to make it so that they can, Lyncosky said. September 23, 2022: This week brought major developments in the nationwide fight to repeal or reform the Social Security WEP and GPO laws. $2 million for Housing Assistance for Re-entry Transition, first funded in fiscal year 2023 to provide rental vouchers and housing support to adults exiting incarceration, particularly 18-to 25-year-olds. Early College and Innovation Pathways, Financial Aid Expansion: MASSGrant Plus, UMass & State University Equity & Inclusion Initiatives, Roadside Maintenance and Beautification. I've had My Antennas EFHW-8010 with 14 ga upgraded wire since 2018. This recommendation maintains funding for the Healthcare Worker Training and AFL-CIO Workforce Development programs and puts $17.9 million from EOLWD and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education into Career Technical Institutes to help close the skills training gaps that exist by expanding access to vocational education. 300 wattsNew style. We would like to share the following tribute to Chris, by Globe Columnist Yvonne Abraham. She said there are teachers nearing retirement who are immunocompromised or have family members at high risk from the virus, leaving them "anxious and conflicted" as case numbers begin to rise again with remote teaching no longer an option. An investment of $2 million for housing supports for families and youth transitioning out of DCF care. Gordon also questioned whether there'd be a sufficient applicant pool across the different regions of the state to fill the vacant positions. This budget proposal also recommends $27.1 million for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and $9.9 million for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. These investments, in addition to the Chelsea Domiciliary campus redevelopment, will ensure the Commonwealth is able to meet the residential and services needs of todays veterans and their families now and in the future. APRIL 27, 2022: Today, the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved a 5% increase in the FY23 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for State and Teacher Retirees. This collaborative public safety model brings together federal, state, local, law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the emerging trends in a community and to develop comprehensive solutions to reduce crime and protect communities. I have three things to report to you this week: Our Central Mass. We look forward to working with our partners in Legislature to develop a final spending plan for fiscal year 2024 that delivers on the promise for all our residents. The House 1 budget recommendation of $112 million for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will position the state government to respond to the needs of workers and employers, fueling a multi-year strategy to strengthen service delivery and program integrity and sustain and scale workforce development programs with proven results. 9/9/22 Weekly Update:By CEO Shawn Duhamel. An Act to provide a retirement enhancement opportunity for certain members of the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System, Senate bill 2783, also known as the Early Retirement Bill, was a proposal for MTA priority legislation submitted by MTA members and approved by the MTA Government Relations Committee and MTA Board of Directors in 2021. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023:Governor Maura Healey has filed her first state budget proposal, formally kicking off the FY24 budget process. After years of advocating for improvements in the retirement plans available to them, adjunct faculty members and other parttime employees working in public higher education will finally have more options available this fall. The investment supports an expansion of these services and an increase in rates through the new procurement. The states partnership with cities and towns, however, doesnt stop there. This effective program allows the state to leverage a robust network of nonprofit organizations to offer technical assistance, education, and access to capital for small businesses, particularly minority-owned businesses. Late last night,Mass Retireesand TRTA officials received word from Congressional leaders that they were not able to achieve a bipartisan deal to reform the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). In addition to the tax breaks for senior homeowners and renters proposed as part of the larger tax package, the House 1 budget increases formula grants to Councils on Aging from $12 to $14 per older adult, resulting in $3.4 million in additional funding and the first increase for this grant program in 5 years. All employees of the state, its political subdivisions, and its public colleges and universities, a bonus of three years "added to age or years of service or a combination thereof for the purpose. ", "I spent my 27-year career building a repertoire of techniques to engage all students and to enrich the curriculum," she said. Public Service. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expanded federal capital funding by 52 percent, requiring MassDOT to hire staff to administer increased funding. If you think you are among the MTA members eligible for this new opportunity, please review MTRSs RetirementPlus Resource Center, available at mtrs.state.ma.us/rplus. OT4}]vx,(d%Qj>r5"_ f5>ARH^\@\6. Join with our 52,000 members as we continue the fight. My advice to those considering AmeriCorps VISTA is to DO IT! The MBTA will receive a $1.463 billion transfer from the sales tax, an increase of $100 million over the fiscal year 2023 budgeted contribution. ", Individual school committees and municipal governments would need to vote to accept the provisions of the bill to offer it to their teachers, and it would also require the local governing bodies to "fill any vacancies created by exercise of rights under this act on or before the start of the subsequent school year.". This legislation also proposes to eliminate the estate tax for all estates valued at up to $3 million with a credit of up to $182,000, addressing another area where Massachusetts is an outlier compared to other states and making it a more attractive place for families to stay. The budget maintains $10.3 million for the State Police to bring on 175 recruits in the 89th Recruit Training Troop and $2 million for the State Police Cadet program, which offers aspiring public safety professionals an equitable pathway to a career in law enforcement. I have been teaching in Westfield for 27 years. The recommendation helps ensure that we can have a reliable and sustainable safety net program, while ensuring that we can make the investments we need in intervention and the root causes of housing instability. ", DeRosa said she's finishing up a doctorate in education and hopes, post-retirement, to embark on a different career path by helping prepare future teachers. A new $500,000 investment will allow for the translation of the commercial drivers license permit test to be translated in eight languages. This funding assumes the implementation of a maximum benefit of $7,000 over 24 months that enables the Commonwealth to serve approximately 25,000 eligible households with costs such as rent and utility arrears to keep them housed. As one its first legislative actions in January, the Healey-Driscoll administration filed a $987 million immediate needs bond bill (H.51) to preserve the pipeline of on-going housing and community development grant programs and position the Commonwealth to take advantage of opportunities to compete for federal dollars, such as the CHIPS and Science Act. The budget funds the Department of Higher Education, the University of Massachusetts system, the State Universities and Community Colleges at $1.98 billion, including investments from Fair Share. 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