Conference Committee to Settle State Budget

Just before Memorial Day, the Senate voted to finalize its Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal. Following a similar trend of the House of Representatives, the Senate has voted to make cuts in the Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Programs along with the Tobacco Control Program, yet the two branches differ in the amount of money they wish to cut in the specific programs.

The House of Representatives has voted to fund Health Promotion and Disease Prevention programs (including cancer screenings) at $6.3 M and the Tobacco Control Program at $8 M.  The Senate has voted to fund these same cancer prevention programs at $9.3 M and tobacco control efforts at $5 M. Both budgets, while not providing any funding, do include language to maintain the Office of Health Equity, which coordinates all state agency efforts to eliminate health disparities.  

Now 3 members of the Senate (Senators Steven Panagiotakos, Stephen Brewer, and Michael Knapik) and 3 members of the House (Representatives Charles Murphy, Barbara L’Italien, and Viriato DeMacedo) have formed the Conference Committee to work out the different proposals. 

Clearly, the stakes are high as literally millions of dollars may be removed from essential cancer control programs. In these times, all programs are taking financial cuts and we must urge our lawmakers to preserve the most funding possible for programs that will save lives and reduce health care costs in the state.  It is also vital to maintain the language for the Office of Health Equity in the FY2010 budget so when more funding eventually becomes available, the program can be more effective than starting from scratch in future years.

Please contact your State Representative and Senator and urge them to speak to the six elected officials on the conference committee and request the higher proposed funding levels for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at $9.3 M (Senate level) and the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program at $8 M (House level) and include language to maintain the existence of the Office of Health Equity.  This funding is essential to maintain proven life-saving cancer fighting programs that will continue to save lives in the Commonwealth.

Thank you for your advocacy!