Budget Conferees Named, Deliberations in Progress

The Massachusetts House and Senate appointed their respective conferees to negotiate how the state spends about $32.4 billion over the next 12 months has been fully assembled.

The House named Representatives Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill), Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington) and Viriato DeMacedo (R-Plymouth) as its budget negotiators. The Senate appointed Senators Stephen Brewer (D-Barre), Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster) and Michael Knapik (R-Westfield).

The six-member conference committee has less than four weeks, before the fiscal year begins on July 1, to agree on a final budget and settle myriad policy and spending differences between the House and Senate budget bills (S 2275 and H 4101). The Conference Committee, which has already begun deliberations, has opted to hold closed sessions.