April 28, 2023

BOSTON, MA – On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral (D-New Bedford) joined his House colleagues in unanimously passing a $56.2 billion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024. This budget responds to the needs o

f residents, makes targeted investments that provide support for families across the Commonwealth, and includes many priorities championed by Rep. Cabral.

Due to the Commonwealth’s strong revenue collections, including the additional estimated revenue from the voter-approved Fair Share Constitutional Amendment, the House’s FY24 budget provides increased financial support in a number of critical areas. Additionally, the House recently passed a comprehensive tax relief package targeted at residents across all income levels that would provide $654 million in direct financial relief in FY24. As a result of the same fiscally responsible leadership that has allowed for tax relief, the state’s Stabilization Fund is estimated to stand at a record high of $9.04 billion.

The City of New Bedford will receive $27,074,021 in unrestricted general government aid for the City’s budget. The New Bedford Public Schools will receive $224,099,122 in state funding, an increase of $25,013,084 million over FY23’s allocation. The budget funds the third year of a six-year implementation plan for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), which was enacted in 2019 to ensure that public schools have the resources needed to provide high-quality education to students across the state, regardless of zip code or income level. “This funding increase delivers on the promise of the Student Opportunity Act to ensure more equitable funding for schools, especially like those in New Bedford that serve low-income and English Language Learner (ELL) students,” said Rep. Cabral.

Additionally, the budget includes the following education initiatives: 

• $506 million for the Special Education Circuit Breaker program
• Increases the limit on the amount of grant funding that can be approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) from $800 million to $1.1 billion for school building construction and renovation projects
• Provides an additional $30 per pupil in minimum aid supplements, bringing the minimum aid total to $60 per pupil
• Requires public schools to provide universal school meals to all students free of charge, making Massachusetts the sixth state in the country to make the program permanent
• $100 million in rate increases for subsidized childcare providers across the Commonwealth.
• $20 million to provide free community college to students over the age of 25 to complete their education and training (MassReconnect)

“These investments in Education demonstrate our state’s continued commitment to students, educators, and families, as well as our commitment to ensuring every child can access a high-quality education. It is what makes Massachusetts a national leader on Education. As a former public school teacher, I could not be prouder of these investments and I know New Bedford students and educators will benefit greatly as a result of these investments,” said Rep. Cabral.

The House Budget also makes permanent a pandemic-era eviction protection for renters with pending applications for emergency rental assistance. Under the program, a judge cannot execute an eviction before an emergency rental assistance application has been approved or denied. Additionally, the budget maintains the House’s commitment to protect renters and homeowners across the Commonwealth from eviction and homelessness by making the following investments: 

• $181 million for Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT)
• $173 million for Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)
• $111 million for programs for unhoused individuals
• $102 million for Housing Authority subsidies for public housing
• $10 million for shelter workforce assistance 

Rep. Cabral was able to secure specific funding for the following local community organizations and programs:

• $80,000 for Dennison Memorial Community Center
• $75,000 for AHA! Arts, History, & Architecture of New Bedford
• $50,000 for the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center
• $50,000 for the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
• $50,000 for the Frederick Douglass House
• $25,000 for the Immigrants’ Assistance Center
• $25,000 for the New Bedford Festival Theatre
• $25,000 for the Cape Verdean Association of New Bedford
• $550,000 for UMass Dartmouth’s SMAST 

Rep. Cabral, a long-time sponsor and advocate, also secured $4,000,000 for the Parent-Child Plus Program. This statewide program offers early education home visits to low-income families with children between the ages of sixteen months and four years, and directly benefits New Bedford families from the Hayden McFadden Elementary School and the John A. Parker Elementary School to name a few.

“The work these organizations do is far-reaching and vital to our community. From ensuring positive youth development, promoting the creativity and resiliency of downtown, providing workforce and citizenship education to our immigrant residents, preserving our multicultural history, and providing vital health services to our community, these programs are making New Bedford a model Gateway City, deserving of continued investment and development. I’ve been a fierce champion of these programs for many years and I’m proud to be a partner in their important work,” said Rep. Cabral.

Gateway Cities

Rep. Cabral and the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus (GCLC) focused their budget priorities on education support programs and community development initiatives that meet the specific needs of Gateway Cities, such as New Bedford. “This is one of the most successful budgets for the GCLC’s priorities in history and it reflects the unique needs of our constituents,” said Rep. Cabral. “It also speaks to the strength of the caucus and our ability to voice our unique needs to leadership.” The GCLC secured:

• $12 Million for Dual Enrollment grants, which enables high school students to earn college credit. An increase of $3M from FY23.
• $1 Million for the English Language Learners Gateway Cities Program
• $1 Million for neighborhood stabilization efforts within the Transformative Development Fund to support community-led revitalization efforts
• $65 Million for Adult Basic Education/ESOL. An increase of $5M from FY23.
• $15 Million for Early College programs, with priority given to programs that serve students who are currently underrepresented in college. An increase of $5M from FY23.

The House again demonstrated its commitment to ensuring “no cost prison calls,” an initiative Rep. Cabral has supported since its introduction last session in the committee he chairs. The FY24 House budget removes barriers to communication services for incarcerated persons and their loved ones by requiring the Department of Correction (DOC) and sheriffs to provide phone calls at no cost to persons receiving and initiating phone calls, without a cap on the number of minutes or calls. As part of this initiative, DOC and sheriffs must maximize purchasing power and seek to consolidate voice communication services contracts.

The budget now goes to the Senate for their consideration.

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