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Home Sweet Home: breakfast nook charm
Even if you have a small place to entertain guests, it's the little things that make them feel at home.…
budget
News and analysis on government budgets, spending, taxes, deficits, funding priorities, and the fiscal decisions affecting Massachusetts, local communities, and the federal government.
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MBTA borrowing plan freed up cash for state budget balancing
BOSTON — The Baker administration, which struggled to balance the state's books in fiscal 2016, plans to use borrowed dollars for…
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MBTA facing $100 million deficit
BOSTON — The MBTA faces an additional financial hurdle this year as projected sales tax revenue for the transit agency has dropped about…
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Baker implements hiring freeze as legislature overrides budget vetoes
A hiring freeze takes effect across the executive branch Monday, part of the Baker administration's plans to hit a $100…
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Federal debt tops $19.4 trillion
(CNSNews.com) – The federal debt moved above $19,400,000,000,000 for the first time as of the close of business…
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Baker delivered ‘too many’ spending vetoes, Senate prez says
STATE HOUSE — A disappointed Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said Monday that Gov. Charlie Baker delivered "too many" spending vetoes, although…
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Lawmakers slap together on-time budget
STATE HOUSE — Responding to instability in the stock market that has shredded revenue estimates for next year, House and Senate leaders on…
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Zika talks to end soon, Republican negotiators promise
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans in control of negotiations on long-delayed funding to combat the Zika virus are promising a quick agreement. Behind-…
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Policy differences may delay budget accord, DeLeo says
BOSTON – Acknowledging a sudden erosion in the state budget's fiscal underpinnings just before the budget is due, House Speaker Robert…
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Budget deficit may reach $370 million this year
BOSTON – Dealing a severe blow to legislative negotiators charged with reaching a state budget accord this month, the Baker administration disclosed Tuesday…
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Budget panel convenes as deadline approaches
STATE HOUSE — Closed-door negotiations on the fiscal 2017 state budget kicked off Friday morning as six House and Senate lawmakers huddled…
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Revenue gap grows to $311 million, Mass. tax agency says
BOSTON — After another lackluster month of collections, tax receipts are now running $311 million behind budget benchmarks with just one month left…
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Meehan sees ‘reasonable’ increase in UMass student costs in 2016-17
STATE HOUSE — The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees is expected to take up tuition and fee rates at a pair of…
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Senate passes $39 billion state spending plan
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Senate wrapped up three days of fiscal 2017 budget deliberations around 11 p.m. Thursday, voting unanimously to pass…
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Plastic grocery bag ban passed by Mass. Senate
BOSTON – Environmentalists across Massachusetts were ecstatic Wednesday after members of the state Senate voted during budget deliberations to adopt an amendment banning…
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GOP-led House moves ahead with bill to boost military budget
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defying a veto threat, the GOP-led House is pressing ahead with debate on a $602 billion defense policy bill…
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Senate panel backs 3.5% spending boost in state budget
BOSTON – A Senate committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed an annual budget that includes funding for 150 new residential substance abuse treatment beds,…
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Baker outlines plan to add affordable housing
BOSTON – A capital budget set to be unveiled by Gov. Charlie Baker later this month will include a large investment aimed at…
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Baker suspends spending on ‘non-essential’ consultants, equipment
STATE HOUSE — The Baker administration on Friday ordered the immediate suspension of all state spending on "non-essential" goods and…
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Hiking school aid draws praise yet no answers on funding
BOSTON – Formula changes that would let more state money flow to local school districts won praise Friday from labor and school leaders…
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April tax plunge creates budget bind, Baker does not plan cuts
STATE HOUSE — Despite sluggish tax collections for the state's largest revenue month appearing to put the state's budget…
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Bay State growth gains as U.S. 1st-quarter rate sags
BOSTON – Hours after the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved an annual budget bill calling for modest spending increases, federal officials reported Thursday…
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House passes $39.6 billion Mass. budget bill
BOSTON – The Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed a $39.6 billion fiscal 2017 budget bill Wednesday afternoon, shipping its spending plan…
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Youthful protest over job funding disrupts budget debate
BOSTON – Protesters backing an amendment to increase funding for youth jobs programs were escorted out of the gallery in the House of…
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Sales tax roll-back proposal runs into Democratic wall
BOSTON – Saying state spending has risen 50 percent since 2006, state Rep. James Lyons appealed to his colleagues in the House of…
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House rejects film credit cap, gas tax increase
BOSTON – The Massachusetts House of Representatives on Monday shot down proposals to increase the state gas tax and to cap the state&…
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Court predicts layoffs, enviro groups also knock House budget
STATE HOUSE — Cities and towns reliant on local aid saw much to celebrate in the $39.5 billion budget proposal released by…
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Brazil Congress moves closer to impeaching Rousseff
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A congressional committee has recommended that the impeachment process against President Dilma Rousseff move forward, bringing the possible…
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UMass posts record financial aid but faces long-term budget gap
BOSTON — The University of Massachusetts spent more on student financial aid this academic year than ever before, thanks in part to the…
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Baker gains allies in push for voc-tech school aid
BOSTON – Advocates pushing for more resources to help move vocational students into careers are aligned with Gov. Charlie Baker as they seek…
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Spending measure faces delays as House, Senate versions differ
BOSTON – In back-to-back sessions, the House and Senate this week passed $168 million spending bills and leaders warned state spending…
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House passes new spending bill, sends to Senate
BOSTON – Members of the state House of Representatives unanimously approved $167.6 million in new spending for the current fiscal year on…
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Hub students protest budget gap as Walsh testifies on charters
BOSTON – Hundreds of Boston Public Schools students climbed Beacon Hill Monday to protest proposed state education budget cuts as the Legislature'…
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Obama’s 2017 budget: A record in taxes; a record in spending
(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama released a fiscal 2017 budget proposal today that calls for the federal government to take in a…
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Obama proposes record $4.1 trillion election-year budget
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled a record $4.1 trillion, election-year budget that finances Democratic priorities like education,…
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Mass. school leaders rap Baker on charter push
BOSTON – Local school officials directly challenged Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's commitment to traditional public education on Tuesday, confronting him over…
