We need YOU to take action concerning the state budget. The State Senate passed two measures of note that now go to the House-Senate Conference to decide if they will be in the final budget, as these were not in the budget passed by the House.
- $500,000 for job training for ex-prisoners and court involved youth…not a lot of money, but would be the first such targeted funding and first attempt of us to fulfill the jobs part of the Jobs NOT Jails goals. The House had no funding for this in their budget version. (Item 7003-0150)
- Senator Brownsberger’s amendment PASSED to make probation fees discretionary and not someone’s probation to be revoked just because of unpaid fees. With 77,000 probationers paying $55-$65 a month for probation fees this will help ex-prisoners. (Sections 156 — 161)
Additionally, we need your help advocating for Senate Bill 2176, which was passed by the Senate and is currently pending in the House, to raise the threshold for what’s a felony for theft from $250 to $1500. The threshold hasn’t been raised in 29 years, and only two states in the country have lower threshold amounts that we have in MA. We need to ask state representatives to speak to the House Speaker on setting a vote on this bill.
How you can help now on these:
- Contact your state representatives and ask them to speak to House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Brian Dempsey about supporting these two budget items in the upcoming House-Senate Conference Committee negotiations.
- Also ask them to speak to Speaker DeLeo about scheduling a vote on Senate 2176, the bill to increase the threshold for what’s a felony on theft from $250 to $1500. You can find the fact sheet for S.B. 2176 here.