Hi ,
Budgets are moral documents. Budgets are why I am committed to holding Beacon Hill accountable to the people of Somerville and Massachusetts. I am delighted to share that the House passed one of the most progressive budgets in recent history. Because of a large revenue surplus from a combination of tax revenue and federal COVID-19 relief funding, we have a lot more cash than we were expecting for the budget.
Governor Baker’s plan for the surplus included a proposal to cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy, which would have heavily benefitted the state’s wealthiest over any other demographic. His proposal was so egregious, it seemed like a big “Thank You” gift to his big donors on his way out. This is why I grilled Governor Baker during the hearing on his regressive tax breaks. Read a quick summary here.
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In contrast, the House version of the budget focuses on sustainable investments like public education funding and criminal justice reform in the most vulnerable communities, so that we can build towards an equitable pandemic recovery. Here’s just a taste of some of the wins we’ve achieved in this budget: - Eliminating exorbitant costs for phone calls for incarcerated folks and their families
- Eliminating probation and parole fees
- Banning child marriage
I am ecstatic to secure a massive increase in funding for my top priorities of education, supporting essential workers, and funding mental health this year. I am also eternally grateful to my fellow neighbors and advocates who have been involved in the fight to equitably fund the social and educational programs that are so critical to our communities. Let’s dive into some of our biggest budget wins: |
Education Funding Wins: From Pre-K to Public Higher Ed
We have won major education funding wins in the budget for next year. From Pre-K through Public Higher Education, funding from the state has gone up across the board. Notably, we won over $30 million in funding for early education and child care programs, over half of which will go to Head Start Grants for early education for low-income families. And another $3 million on top of that has been set aside for early childhood mental health grants, which will be a crucial step in our pandemic recovery.
After two years of fighting tooth and nail to fund the Student Opportunity Act, we’ve secured funding for one third of the budget, nearly $500M more supporting our low-income students and English Language Learners. This is huge, and I can’t emphasize that enough. Before I became a State Rep, I fought alongside my fellow education justice organizers to get the Student Opportunity Act passed. But just prior to entering office, the bill stopped being funded because of COVID — the opposite of what we needed to happen. This has been a long and personal battle for me, and I’m proud to have helped secure the funding we need for the Student Opportunity Act.
Now the biggest gains in education funding came for our public higher education system, which has been critically underfunded for decades. Since I graduated high school, Massachusetts has slashed higher ed funding by ⅓ less money per student, and we rank 43rd in the country in state higher education funding. But we are turning the tides with this budget: the House plans to invest nearly $1.6 billion in funding for our State Universities, Community Colleges, and the UMass system through a combination of direct funding, endowment match incentives, and scholarship funding. In fact, scholarship funding alone was raised by $25.5 million as compared to FY22. For the first time in… well, maybe ever, we have funding for all of the needs that our public higher ed institutions need to cover costs for the next year.
That said, we are still not investing enough in our public higher education and must be doing more to work towards debt-free higher education. Nobody should go into debt from going to college, which is why I will continue to fight for more funding for scholarships and financial aid, and to pass H.1339 to guarantee a debt-free college education.
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Debt Relief for Essential Workers In addition to excellent news on education funding, the House budget also includes a number of really exciting pilot programs. Scholarships, Loan Forgiveness, and Repayment for Teachers
After over a decade, we are finally revitalizing the Tomorrow’s Teacher program, which would provide $7.5 million in scholarships to people of color who are committed to teaching in MA public schools. Massive gratitude is due to those who advocated for a new source of funding to help students and professionals enter the teaching profession, where we desperately need more staff.
In addition to the Tomorrow’s Teacher funds, another $7.5 million has been allocated for debt relief for teachers of color who went into debt for education licensure. This retroactive measure would help ensure a just and equitable opportunity for teachers facing the most difficulties during the pandemic. Loan Forgiveness for Mental Health Professionals
$20 million has been invested in a new loan forgiveness program within the Department of Mental Health to support their workforce. Throughout the pandemic, mental health professionals have worked above and beyond to support our community, and this loan forgiveness program will hopefully empower those struggling with loans and debt to achieve more financial security. Loan Repayment and Bonuses for Shelter Workforce
Similarly, another $10 million is being allocated to those working in shelters across the commonwealth, which have housed thousands of the most vulnerable populations. The money will be used for loan repayment, as well as bonuses for staff.
The House has proposed a $1 million public awareness campaign to ensure all those who may benefit from these pilot programs are aware of them. If you think you may be eligible, or wish to find out more, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by emailing Erika.Uyterhoeven@mahouse.gov or giving me a call at (857) 264-1096.
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Somerville Public Schools Funding
After several years of stagnation, the budget for special education and mental health would be increased by about 7% for FY23, according to the House budget passed last week. Somerville would see a sizeable chunk of the increase in funding for our special education programming.
In addition, Somerville receives about $21 million a year from Chapter 70, and that will increase significantly this year due to the Student Opportunity Act. Of that $21 million, typically a large chunk goes to funding charter schools. However, the House passed funding for full charter reimbursements, which means the full Student Opportunity Act funding will go to Somerville Public Schools. With this influx of funding, the city will no longer have to pit public and charter schools against each other for funding.
There is so much more to cover on the House budget, so I will share my other priorities for which we won significant funding in my next newsletter. Stay tuned! |
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Office hours
Join us this Saturday, right before PorchFest for some coffee, caffeine, and good company. We will be joined by Senator Pat Jehlen, Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen and School Committee Member Sarah Phillips in my backyard.
We’re excited at answer any and all state or local questions. Or feel free to just drop by to say hi to neighbors. Hope to see you all there! |
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Canvass with Team Erika
Finally, we will be launching canvasses to talk with neighbors about the most important issues they are facing in Somerville. This is critical work for me because your voice and your issue help drive my priorities in the State House. Hope to see you at 11am on Sunday! |
It is truly an honor to serve you all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with your thoughts and questions about the budget, if you want to advocate for any bills, or need any help from government services. |
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