Massachusetts Joint Ways and Means Committee Opens FY27 Budget Hearings on $62.8 Billion Proposal

BOSTON — February 11, 2026 — Massachusetts lawmakers open FY27 budget hearings on Governor Healey's $62.8 billion spending plan. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means, co-chaired by House Chair Aaron Michlewitz and Senate Chair Michael J. Rodrigues, spent nearly nine hours Wednesday hearing from the governor, three constitutional officers, and state watchdog officials on the proposal, which holds spending growth to 1 percent — the lowest since the Healey administration took office — and includes $7.6 billion for Chapter 70 school aid, $802 million for the special education circuit breaker, and $2.7 billion in fair share surtax revenue. Attorney General Andrea Campbell reported her office has filed 47 lawsuits protecting $3.14 billion of the $3.3 billion in federal funds the Trump administration has sought to withhold, and asked for a $2.7 million budget increase to hire 17 new staff. Secretary of State William Galvin warned that 12 pending ballot questions could cost an additional $15 to $16 million in election printing costs, with voter information booklets potentially reaching 100 pages. Treasurer Deborah Goldberg confirmed the state pension fund stands at $120.3 billion and the Stabilization Fund at $8.1 billion, while multiple members pressed the administration on an overhaul of the Chapter 70 school funding formula as the Student Opportunity Act reaches its final year.