Massachusetts Budget Fiscal Year 2009 (July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009)

Budget Background and Budget Process Update

Jane Doe Inc. and its member organizations are seeking an additional $10 million in state funding to ensure that Massachusetts has a strong, vibrant, flexible and resourced network of services that provide critical, community-based resources necessary to meet the needs of victims and their families.

Over the coming months, the Massachusetts Legislature will decide on the budget for Fiscal Year 2009. Victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, their families and all of us cannot wait any longer for the resources needed to fix the infrastructure of sexual assault and domestic violence services in Massachusetts. Too many victims face challenges accessing services and housing. Too many victims are being killed.

JDI Member Organizations throughout the Commonwealth have been struggling to meet an increase in demand since facing budget cuts over the past several years. The burden of these cuts has taken a serious toll on the Commonwealth's ability to respond with the appropriate interventions and services that once were available. Unless these funds are restored, access to these life-saving services to women, men and children across the Commonwealth will be seriously jeopardized.

JDI is urging the Commonwealth to consider the long term needs of these systems to ensure the safety, dignity and liberty of survivors and all of our communities.

What is the Massachusetts State Budget Process?
The state budget process begins with a proposal from the Governor, called House 1, which is typically released in January.

Following that, the House Committee on Ways and Means releases their proposal in March or April and that proposal is debated and voted on by the full House of Representatives.

A few weeks later the Senate Committee on Ways and Means releases their budget proposal followed by debate and a vote by the full Senate.

As the House and Senate budgets often contain numerous differences, a Conference Committee comprised of members of both the House and Senate is appointed to meet and reconcile the differences in the two budgets. Once their review and negotiations are complete they release what is called a Conference Committee budget. The House and Senate then vote to on the conference committee budget and the final version is sent to the Governor.

The Governor has ten days to review the budget and make any vetoes and sign the budget. The House and Senate have the opportunity to override (or overturn) vetoes by a 2/3 majority vote in both branches.