Any sort of budget debate without knowing the level of help from the federal government would be only a hypothetical exercise, said Eileen McAnneny, president of the taxpayers foundation. And Brooke Thomson, head of government affairs at Associated Industries of Massachusetts, said her group is…

“These lower appropriation levels address the need for continuing government operations while adjusting for lower tax revenue collections, but even this reduced spending could prove to be overly optimistic should federal assistance levels fall short, the economic recovery is delayed or…

On June 19, Governor Baker filed H. 4806, a one month, $5.25 billion spending authorization to keep the government operational through July 31 that the legislature has since enacted. In this interim budget, the guidance indicates that for each account, spending will be the lower of the FY 20 GAA…

Unlike Congress, state lawmakers need to pass a balanced budget every year. Money is tight, to say the least: The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation recently estimated that state tax revenue in the next fiscal year will drop by $6 billion, or nearly 20 percent, from what state officials…

In its updated economic outlook released in late May, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a leading Beacon Hill watchdog organization, already predicted the state could face a roughly $6 billion budget shortfall this year.

MTF projected before the pandemic hit that the state faced a revenue shortfall of up to $800 million this fiscal year. Even then, the Beacon Hill watchdog group suggested putting off the phase-in of the Student Opportunity Act or hold off spending in other parts of the budget. Since the pandemic…

“Prior to COVID-19, education finance reform was on track to be the centerpiece of the fiscal 2021 budget,” MTF President Eileen McAnneny wrote in a letter to lawmakers. She added, “After the fiscal impact of COVID-19, however, policymakers may need to modify the implementation schedule for this…

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation predicts a $6 billion drop in tax revenues for the state due in part to mandated business closures during the pandemic.

The Commonwealth has not formally revised its January 2020 consensus revenue forecast for fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021 in light of the coronavirus-driven recession now underway, with a new forecast likely to emerge from fiscal 2021 budget deliberations. One outside group, the Massachusetts Taxpayers…

“After the fiscal impact of COVID-19 … policymakers may need to modify the implementation schedule for this new law,” Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation President Eileen McAnneny wrote to lawmakers in late April. “For example, lawmakers may postpone the start of implementation until…