Governor Releases Budget Vetoes
July 12, 2007
Today, Governor Patrick released a list of vetoes, striking language and $41 million from the $26.8 billion FY2008 state budget. Patrick’s vetoes were a fraction of those issued by his predecessor, former Gov. Mitt Romney, whose vetoes totaled $573 million for the FY2007 budget.
The Governor let stand, priority accounts identified by The Arc, Mass. Families Organizing for Change, Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, and Mass. Advocates Standing Strong – including Turning 22, Family Support, and the EOHHS salary reserve.
As advocates, we always encourage everyone to remember to say thanks to follow up on our requests for support. In this case, you can click here send a quick message to the Governor and Lt. Gov. to let them know you appreciate their willingness to spare disability accounts from the Governor’s list of vetoes.
Among several language changes, Patrick proposed amending a section directing the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to establish an electronic health records task force to link information between various state offices that utilize health records, from MassHealth to commonwealth connector programs. Patrick claimed the budget language, as written, was unclear and could be construed to conflict with federal and state legal requirements. In its place, he proposed language that would provide EOHHS with greater control over the process, and remove the requirement that the task force “develop an electronic health records system that provides linkages between multiple settings…” changing it to “study the advisability of an electronic health records system that provides linkages between multiple settings…”
The Governor’s vetoes will move next to the House Ways and Means Committee, where chair Robert DeLeo, in consultation with Speaker DiMasi and Senate leaders, will decide which vetoes to try to overturn by a two-thirds roll call vote.