The Legislature completed its work for the 2001-2002 legislative session at 2:00 a.m. on August 1, 2002. The Department of Mental Retardation endured an additional $4,800,000 in cuts as part of a massive $355 million package in gubernatorial vetoes due to decreasing revenues. DMR is now looking at a budget that is $20,678,478 less than Governor Swift’s House I, FY 2003 budget proposal that was released in January 2002. In addition, the $6,000,000 for salaries was vetoed by the governor. The chart below shows the story through each stage of the budget.

House 1 Released, Jan.	House Released, May	Senate Released, June	Conference Released, July	Governor’s vetoes
1,007,999,545	1,000,083,162	997,513,175	992,121,647	987,321,067
EOHHS -0- salaries	6,000,000	6,000,000	6,000,000	-0-

Though efforts were made to take up overrides, few initiatives were considered. The legislature did override 8 vetoes in total, including reimbursements for kindergarten, state employees health insurance, and $28,000,000 in reimbursements for cities and towns when students enroll in charter schools. Two successful overrides reinstated $5,000,000 for community health centers and $860,000 to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind.

The Massachusetts Commission for Rehabilitation (MRC) budget, although unscathed in conference deliberations, suffered two significant gubernatorial vetoes: Vocational Rehabilitation Services (4120-2000), reduced by $507,016 (7%), and Employment Assistance (4120-3000), reduced by $367,027 (5%). Early Intervention maintained its allocation of 31.8 million to serve the projected 25,600 children in FY'03.

These reductions will have a direct impact on the services offered to individuals with disabilities. The DMR day/work and transportation cuts, combined with the MRC reductions, mean that individuals with cognitive disabilities receive a double reduction. The question is what will happen to hundreds of people and/or how the quality of employment services will suffer. 

From August through December, the Legislature will not hold full formal sessions. Members can be called back in if rules are suspended, but this is not expected at this time. Generally, on Tuesday and Thursday, informal sessions will take place to deal with “non-controversial” issues (those that do not require a roll call). Legislators are up for re-election and face a primary on September 17, 2002. The final election is November 5. In January 2003, a new Legislature will be sworn in for the 2003-2004 session.

The only way funding can be added is if a Supplemental or Deficiency budget is filed to cover unexpected expenses. This generally is filed by the Governor’s office and each branch can change the budget accordingly. The Governor must sign the final document.

Other issues that were passed on the final day of the session and sent on to the Governor for her signature included the Omnibus Housing Bill, the Transportation Bond Bill, and the Environmental Bond Bill.