Eldridge Takes the Lead on Education Aid, Environmental Protection

During Budget Process, Eldridge Files Several Amendments to help District

Boston – Representative James B. Eldridge (D-Acton) filed and co-sponsored a number of budget amendments on Friday, April 15th, after the release of the House Ways and Means Committee’s proposed Fiscal Year 2006 budget, including amendments vital to the economic needs of the 37th Middlesex District.

“The House Ways and Means Committee’s budget proposal reflects the structural deficit that the state remains in, and therefore increases in core essential services and local aid are minimal,” commented Eldridge upon review of the budget.  “While the proposed FY06 budget does increase Chapter 70 education aid, Councils on Aging, Prescription Advantage, Lottery Aid, Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) funds, and important housing programs, these improved commitments will do little to relieve the burden of rising property taxes on the citizens of the 37th Middlesex District.”

Eldridge had hoped areas such as increased state education support, protecting the environment, building more affordable housing, supporting social services, and helping seniors would have seen greater levels of support in the budget.  “I concede, however, that with FY05 state revenues being less than the revenues from the past, a fiscally responsible state budget will mean few increases in these areas of spending until more revenue can be generated.”  As a result, Representative Eldridge has co-sponsored an amendment to close corporate tax loopholes that was originally filed as House bill 21 by Governor Romney as part of his budget proposal, which could raise as much as $170 million in revenues.

Among the amendments that Eldridge is the lead sponsor is one increasing the Department of Environment Protection (DEP) budget by $3.4 million, which was its funding level in Fiscal Year 2001.  Funding for DEP has since been dramatically reduced. In recent testimony presented to House Ways and Means, Environmental League of Massachusetts policy analyst Megan Amundson, reported that “while Massachusetts was once a leader in environmental protection, as of 2000 Massachusetts ranked 44th out of 50 states in environmental spending per capita, and 48th as a proportion of the total budget. Since these statistics came out, the environmental budget in Massachusetts has seen an additional cut of almost 30 percent when adjusted for inflation.”  Without adequate DEP funding, says Eldridge, “we have seen an increase in violations of environmental law, and likely, we will continue to see lower standards of enforcement of our environmental laws and a degradation of our treasured environmental resources unless we make the DEP a priority”.

Eldridge is a co-sponsor of a measure to bring School Building Assistance money for over 500 existing SBAB projects that the Department of Education has yet to fund, including projects in Lancaster and Lunenburg.  He is also supporting additional Chapter 70 education aid, $20 million in supplemental special education circuit breaker funds, amendments for increased regional and non-regional school transportation funding, maintenance funding of the education “Pothole” account, restored funding for the Reading Recovery Program, funding for library technology, S.A.F.E. fire education funds, $10 million in grant funding for every municipality in Massachusetts to purchase fire equipment, increased PILOT funds, a new Prescription Advantage enrollment period, increased money for Legal Aid, and increased support for Emergency Medical Services.

An issue of recent importance to many communities along the Route 2 corridor has been returning local control to the process by which state land is sold.  Since being elected Governor, the Romney’s administration passed a new law to quicken the sale of state land that has now included attempts at selling so-called state “surplus” land in Lancaster, Harvard, and Acton along Route 2.  Eldridge has filed an amendment to return local control and the right of first refusal to the communities where surplus land is deemed.

Finally, Representative Harold P. Naughton, Jr. (D-Clinton) and Eldridge have filed an amendment to provide a $650,000 death benefit to the family of deceased Lancaster call firefighter Mary McNamara.  “We have heard the call from volunteer firefighters across the Commonwealth, and from several members of the community affected by the McNamera tragedy, and hope that we can address this issue immediately in the budget,” said Naughton.

“I am committed to fighting for the 37th Middlesex District’s fair share of state funds, and hope that as the budget process progresses, we find ways to protect the services and programs that we value most.  Many of the accounts like the special education circuit breaker and the education pothole account provide a basic safety net for our communities, for unplanned changes that occur in our communities.  The programs that we seek to protect, like legal aid and Reading Recovery, also provide a basic safety net, so that no family in any community is left behind.”