Contact Your Legislator Today

House to Start FY20 State Budget Debate Today    Representatives to Decide on All Municipal and School Amendments    Please Call Your Representatives TODAY, and Ask them to Support Higher Chapter 70 Minimum Aid, Charter School Reimbursements, School Transportation Reimbursements, PILOT Funding, and Other Key Priorities Monday, April 22 – Beginning later this morning, the House of Representatives is scheduled to start debate on the fiscal 2020 state budget. During this debate, House members will take up nearly 1,400 amendments, including dozens related to municipal and school aid accounts and important policy issues that affect local government. Debate is expected to wrap up by the end of this week.    Now is the time to talk with your State Representatives about budget amendments.    The MMA has sent a detailed letter to all House members, forcefully advocating on the major local government amendments.    Please Click Here for a Copy of MMA’s Budget Letter on House Amendments    A copy of the House Ways and Means budget (H. 3800) and all proposed amendments can be found on the Legislature’s website at:    https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2020/HouseDebate/Amendments    Please review the MMA’s House budget letter, and call your Representatives as soon as possible today to let them know how these amendments would impact your community. This is the best time to influence their support for the issues and amendments that matter most. Please call on them to support amendments that would fully fund state obligations, such as charter school reimbursements and school transportation reimbursements.    This is a quick reference to the many amendments highlighted in the MMA’s letter to all House members:    School Aid Ask Your Representatives to Support the Following Amendments: • Chapter 70 Minimum Aid at $50 per Student (#992), instead of the $30 in H. 3800 • Full Funding of Charter School Impact Payments (#615) • Retaining a 6-Year Charter School Reimbursement Schedule (#340) • Full Funding for Regional School Transportation Reimbursements (#44) • Full Funding for McKinney-Vento Student Transportation Reimbursements (#244) • Funding for Out-of-District Vocational Student Transportation (#480 and #482) • Funding for Summer Jobs for At-Risk Youth (#1285 and #1011)    Ask Your Representatives to Oppose the following Harmful Amendments: • Increasing the Charter School Facilities Formula Component, which would Reduce Funds that could be Used to Offset Losses to Charter Schools (#615 and #1340)    Municipal Aid Ask Your Representatives to Support the Following Amendments: • Increased Funding for PILOT – the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes Program (#878) • Increased Funding for Shannon Anti-Gang Grants (#127) • Increased Funding for Local Planning Grants (#836, #233, and #391) • Increased Funding for Public Libraries (#337, #863, and #339) • Increased Funding for the Housing Choice Initiative Program (#1215) • Increased Funding for Labor Relations Staffing (#864, #77, and #798) • Increased Funding for Complete Count Census Grants (#1354)    General Budget Amendments Ask Your Representatives to Support the Following Amendments: • Fixing Problems in the Tax Title Law (#100) • Updating the Outdated Statute Governing Solar Property Tax Exemptions (#803) • Creating an Extractor Bulk Purchasing Trust Fund (#286)    If you have any questions regarding any of these amendments, please contact MMA Legislative Director John Robertson at jrobertson@mma.org or (617) 427-7272.    Please Call Your Representatives Today and Ask them to Support Cities and Towns in the House Budget Debate    Thank You!!