Far Left still wants to raid $1.2B from the Rainy Day Fund
Government shutdown is over despite Markey and Warren
Perhaps emboldened by statewide Republican candidates, the far Left, union backed, Raise Up Massachusetts called upon Governor Healey to raid $1.2B from the state's rainy day fund this fiscal year to help pay for “massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in the OBBA tax bill passed this summer.”
The stabilization fund currently holds $8.6B, 15% is approximately $1.2B.
Activists are also pushing for additional tax changes that would theoretically raise over $800 million per year.
Less than a week ago GOP hopefully Mike Minogue suggested using $240M of the rainy day fund to pay for November's Bay State SNAP outlay. Mike Kennealy also pushed a similar solution.
The federal government shutdown ended Wednesday night. Senators Markey and Warren voted to continue the shutdown.
Raise Up Massachusetts speakers claimed the Beacon Hill Democrat super majority should act due to the “situation of moral outrage…and at a time of federal shame.”
Raise Up also took the opportunity to push for a $400M tax hike via the so-called Corporate Fair Share legislation and for calling Massachusetts to opt-out of new federal tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Often Massachusetts tax law will automatically conform with federal tax law unless the Commonwealth opts out of the federal changes.
The opt-outs might raise $463M per this year.