Bill H.4302 186th (2009 - 2010)

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4678        FILED ON: 10/30/2009

House  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4302

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

October 29, 2009

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives:
 

Pursuant to Section 5 of Article 63 of the Amendments to the Constitution, I am today signing House 4288, “An Act Making Appropriations for the Fiscal Year 2009 to Provide for Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for Certain Other Activities and Projects,” while disapproving certain items and sections.

I am pleased to approve many of the items in this bill, particularly fiscal year 2009 supplemental appropriations totaling $35.4 million in net spending to address immediate deficiencies and $27.6 million for certain appropriated amounts from fiscal year 2009 to be available for fiscal year 2010.  We are able to fund these needs from the modest surplus generated by our prompt, effective and collaborative management of the budget as revenue deteriorated rapidly during fiscal year 2009. 

The spending that I am approving today includes $30 million to close out the accounts of our MassHealth program.  I am also approving, for fiscal year 2010, $5.4 million for the state’s special election costs for the January 2010 election to fill the U.S. Senate seat; $2.8 million at the Department of Public Health for H1N1 vaccines; $11.1 million at Labor and Workforce Development for Workforce Training grants; and $3.7 million at Public Safety to continue the program to purchase protective vests for police officers, among additional items.

I am signing Sections 49 and 50, which contain changes in the “Quinn Bill” police educational incentive program.  Because we can no longer financially support the program in its current form, I am seeking your support for a Commission I will soon appoint that would develop a successor program to, among other things, defray the education expenses of police officers who pursue higher degrees to enhance their police training and performance.

In light of the Commonwealth’s continuing revenue challenges, and the need to use the remainder of the fiscal year 2009 surplus to help address them, I am not able to approve all of the funding contained in this bill.  Specifically, I am disapproving $24.6 million in this legislation, as follows:

·          In Section 2, I disapprove in Section 2 items 0330-3337 for the Trial Court, 0339-1001 for the Commissioner of Probation, and 0339-1003 for Community Corrections Administration consistent with my fiscal year 2010 veto recommendations of the general appropriations act.  It is hardly consistent to approve this new spending when asking, in separation legislation filed today, for additional reductions from these same entities to keep the fiscal year 2010 budget in balance.  In the event the legislature enacts the sentencing and CORI reform bills my administration has filed, I will approve additional funding for the Commissioner of Probation account because we will need more probation staff to administer the impact of the reforms.  That spending, as you know, would be offset by savings in corrections,

·          In Section 2C.I, I disapprove the appropriation made in the introductory sentence by the words “, and the unexpended balance of all appropriations in the Massachusetts management accounting and reporting system with a secretariat code of 01” and items 0322-0100 and 0540-1400.  This veto will allow for the return of $18.8 million to the General Fund, without affecting other legislative funding that I approved in the fiscal year 2010 general appropriation act for the legislature’s annual operations.  Additionally, I am disapproving items 0322-0100 for the Appeals Court and 0540-01400 for the Northern Middlesex Registry of Deeds, as they are for ongoing items that the Commonwealth can no longer support due to current budget reductions and further constraints anticipated in fiscal year 2011. 

              I also disapprove Section 45, which provides funding for enhanced liquor enforcement programs at the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.  Consistent with my veto of this item in the fiscal year 2010 general appropriations act, I am disapproving this additional funding as unaffordable at this time.

I approve the remainder of this Act.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                              Governor.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

10/ 29 /2009

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives:

I disapprove the following items:

I disapprove Section 45. 

The remainder of this bill I approve.

Approved, October     , 2009

at                             o'clock and                             minutes,                             .M.

                                                                                                                Deval Patrick

                                                                                                                Governor