The bill the Legislature sent Baker was packed with earmarks — 843 in total, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-backed budget watchdog. They funded everything from $500,000 for a rail trail in Lawrence to $300,000 for...

Now, with a bill delegating how to spend nearly $4 billion in American Rescue Plan Act and state surplus funding sitting on his desk, Baker must put his signature on it quickly. He received the legislation Dec. 3 after it languished for months amid...

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation said the most notable difference between the House and Senate versions of the ARPA spending proposal was the proposed timeline and process for providing premium pay to essential workers. “Like the Senate version...

According to a Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation analysis that highlights some of the bill's pressure points, the biggest buckets of money in the bill are for health care ($964 million), housing ($624 million), and $500 million allotments for both...

While the final earmarked total was not immediately available, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation previously counted 415 earmarks added by the Senate worth $122.9 million in new spending, while the House spread $154.4 million in new spending...

The Legislature took final votes Friday on a $4 billion American Rescue Plan Act spending package (H 4629) that grew beyond the governor's original $2.8 billion proposal he filed in June. Baker had originally separated federal relief funding and...

Today, the House and Senate passed a $4 billion spending bill which uses the remaining fiscal year 2021 surplus and up to $2.55 billion in Fiscal Recovery Funds provided through the American Rescue Plan.  The compromise legislation increases...

According to an analysis by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, the House bill contains 411 such earmarks, totaling $154.4 million; the Senate version has 415 earmarks, totaling $122.9 million. They include such items as $5 million for the...

While the bodies agreed on some of the biggest provisions – spending $500 million on premium pay for essential workers and $500 million to reimburse the unemployment insurance trust fund – there were significant differences. According to the...

The Senate last Wednesday added 430 amendments earmarking funds, primarily for local COVID response and recovery projects, and 19 new policy sections, according to a Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation analysis. The foundation described the...