# Lawmakers set to restore funds



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Package would earmark money for legal immigrant healthcare, 2 zoos*








Rahima Begum, 63, of Woburn, an immigrant from Bangladesh, with her grandson Jeeshan Wahab. Begum - who suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis - was concerned about cuts to healthcare for legal immigrants. (Eric J. Shelton/Associated Press)

By Matt Viser and Kay Lazar

Globe Staff / July 29, 2009

House and Senate lawmakers plan to vote today on a spending package that would provide $40 million for healthcare coverage for legal immigrants and at least $2 million for Greater Boston's two zoos.

Discuss*COMMENTS (10)*

The proposal, which addresses two of the most controversial cuts in this year's state budget, would restore some of the funding for the two programs. But it would not provide as much money as advocates had sought, and it would mean a fresh round of spending when state finances remain tight.

The plan departs from what Governor Deval Patrick wanted, awarding far less money for immigrant healthcare and more money to the zoos. If lawmakers support the spending, legal immigrants and zoos stand to gain, while many other programs will have to live with the cuts they were given under a $27 billion budget Patrick signed last month.

"I can't emphasize enough that we are just glad it's being done,'' said Franklin Soults, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, the state's largest immigrants rights group. "There was a tremendous fear that immigrants were going to be cut off and left in the cold.''

The funding would help maintain some health coverage for about 30,000 immigrants who have a "special status.'' Many of the immigrants have been in the country for less than five years and are seeking asylum from war-ravaged nations such as Iraq, Somalia, and Sudan.

A host of questions remained unanswered, however, including how the state can cover 30,000 people with $90 million less than the $130 million Patrick included in his original budget proposal. After state lawmakers eliminated the funding in their budget, Patrick filed a supplemental budget request for $70 million.

Patrick spokeswoman Cyndi Roy said that while the administration is heartened by lawmakers' desire to restore the healthcare funding, the $40 million is insufficient.

"While we appreciate this statement of support, our analysis shows that the level of funding appropriated is not sufficient to maintain meaningful coverage or to develop a scaled-back program,'' Roy said in a statement. "If this passes the Legislature, we will work with the Legislature and relevant stakeholders, including the federal government, to review our options for maintaining support for this population.

The federal government does not chip in for the cost of treating certain classes of immigrants, so Massachusetts would not receive any matching federal money.

Meanwhile, zoo officials, who were on Beacon Hill lobbying for support yesterday, had asked lawmakers to override Patrick's veto of $4 million in spending, saying the cut would force them to close their two zoos, Franklin Park in Boston, and Stone Zoo in Stoneham.

It is unclear whether $2 million would be enough to prevent their closure.
"We are grateful for the Legislature's recognition of the reality of what the size of the proposed cut would do to the zoo's ability to operate,'' John Linehan, president of Zoo New England, which operates the two zoos, said in a statement. "We know that both the governor and the Legislature are working hard and are faced with very difficult choices in this budget process.''
The boost in funding for the zoos could cap a bizarre political foodfight that erupted earlier this month when zoo officials contended that the budget cut could force the euthanization of some animals.
The zoo override initially seemed all but assured, and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray both predicted their members would restore the funding.

But as Patrick used his bully pulpit, staging several press conferences to suggest that the zoos should deal with budget cuts in the same way as other areas of state government, and as revenue figures worsened, lawmakers began to lose their appetite for a full override.

The healthcare and zoo proposals would be part of a larger spending package, which needs a majority in the House and Senate to pass. If lawmakers had tried to override the governor's veto, they would have needed two-thirds of both chambers.

The Legislature is also planning to restore some funding, $13.1 million, for programs for low-income seniors. Lawmakers are poised to boost, by about $1 million each, funding for emergency food assistance, library aid, and services for children and families.

Several aspects of the plan remained in flux yesterday, including exactly how much would go to the zoos.

"We're looking at all of our options,'' DeLeo said in a brief interview yesterday as he headed into a House Democratic caucus.

On healthcare, it will probably fall to the Connector Authority, which oversees the state's subsidized insurance program that covers these immigrants, to decide how to implement the reduced funding level.

Regardless of how the Legislature votes today, the affected immigrants will continue to be covered under their current plan until Sept. 1, because state lawmakers did not act in time to give residents the required notice that their health benefits would be changing, according to Richard Powers, spokesman for the Connector Authority.

Any proposed changes in the health plans will also require the authority to renegotiate contracts with the five managed-care companies that provide the coverage, according to Powers.

Zoo officials have said they hope to wean themselves off state funding, and they have been developing a plan to move toward financial self-reliance.

The Legislature initially provided $6.5 million for the zoos, but the governor used his line-item veto powers to reduce that to $2.5 million. If state lawmakers approve an additional $2 million today, it would put state funding for the zoos at $4.5 million for this fiscal year.

Patrick aides would not say whether the governor would veto additional spending for the zoos.

Efforts to restore the money are underway as state revenues continue to plunge, falling below even the direst projections last month and ending the fiscal year with a $180 million gap. State officials will probably make up the difference by tapping a reserve account.

State officials built this year's budget on an estimate that about $18 billion in revenues would come in through state taxes. But that estimate could prove to be too high, which would require further budget cuts.

"It's likely several hundred million dollars too high,'' said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

Lawmakers set to restore funds for legal immigrant healthcare, 2 zoos - The Boston Globe


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## Garda79 (Jun 19, 2009)

Cops are getting laid off. The safety of towns in the commonwealth is in peril and these idiots are worried about restoring funding to Zoos and health care for people that are here illegally. What is wrong with this picture?


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## Eagle13 (Jun 12, 2008)

Garda79 said:


> Cops are getting laid off. The safety of towns in the commonwealth is in peril and these idiots are worried about restoring funding to Zoos and health care for people that are here illegally. What is wrong with this picture?


The story is talking about healthcare for legal immigrants not illegal, this time at least.

Oh and screw that zoo....they have to be doing well, MGM is filming Kevin James new movie "Zoo Keeper" there. They built a set right in the middle of the zoo! You can't tell me they didn't see a nice check for that!


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