Massachusetts

Massachusetts Lawmakers Approve Long-Delayed Spending Plan

Lawmakers approved $541 million in spending

Massachusetts Statehouse 2017
NBC10 Boston

Massachusetts lawmakers approved a spending plan Thursday for more than $1 billion in surplus tax revenue from the last fiscal year.

House and Senate lawmakers sent the budget to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's desk in the early morning.

Lawmakers approved $541 million in spending. The remaining money was deposited in the state's rainy day fund, bringing that fund's total to more than $3.4 billion.

The action came as State Comptroller Andrew Maylor threatened to transfer the entire $1 billion into the state's rainy day fund if Democratic leaders in both chambers failed to draft a deal by Thursday morning.

The budget includes $32 million in spending for repairs to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. That's less than the $50 million requested by Baker.

Debate over the supplemental spending plan was beginning to bump up against planning for the state budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1.

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