Massachusetts Republicans Raise Concerns Over Governor's Budget Proposal

Now is perhaps not the time to open our wallets any wider, the state's top Republican said in response to Gov. Maura Healey's $62 billion fiscal 2026 budget proposal.

According to Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, the state has implemented a range of new policies in the past few years which seem to be popular, but all of them also come with a price tag. Prices, Tarr noted, are already up due to inflation, and adding to the taxpayer's tab just now isn't going to help residents.

"This budget is increasing spending by 7.4% -- there's a concern there," Tarr told WCVB. "We've had a lot of new programs that have been introduced over the last several years. The problem with new programs is that they always look good, until you can't afford them and people come to depend on them."

One example, according to the Republican, is the state's recently implemented free community college program, which allows adults over the age of 25 who don't have a degree to pursue higher education without worrying about some of the associated costs.

That's all well and good, Tarr said, but free doesn't actually mean free and somebody is paying for those programs.

"We've had a lot of stuff with free community college, which everyone agrees is a great thing. The question is, can we afford it at the magnitude that we're going," he said.

The budget also includes an 11% pay increase for lawmakers. Tarr said that, while there are "much more foundational things" that Beacon Hill needs to consider as they plan the fiscal 2026 budget, if a lawmaker moved to block the pay raises he would "be receptive to it."

Healey's budget, according to the governor, aims to balance the MBTA's books, improve roads and bridges, and modernize the state's college campuses, "all while creating good jobs."

"This budget also prioritizes affordability and economic development - continuing the progress we have made in child care, college affordability, tax cuts, housing, veterans services and more. We are able to build on this progress while controlling our spending and tightening our belts, just as families and businesses are doing across our state," Healey said when announcing her spending plan.

Almost $2.4 billion of expected fiscal 2026 revenues will come from Fair Share Amendment funds, and according to the governor's office, excluding that money means planned spending comes in closer to $59.6 billion, an increase of just 2.6% over fiscal 2025 costs "consistent with the rate of inflation."

However, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, the governor's budget plan actually recommends $62.07 billion in total spending, which amounts to a $4.29 billion increase over 2025.

"To support this level of spending, despite expectations for limited revenue growth, the Governor's budget utilizes approximately $1.94 billion in one-time and ongoing revenue generating initiatives, including twelve tax policy proposals," they wrote.

Faced with stagnant revenue growth, now is the time for Beacon Hill to "get back to our priorities" and curtail spending, Tarr said.

"We need to take a long, hard look at where we are at," he said.