Related Information
State
The Massachusetts State Budget Process FY 2010
Governor Patrick's FY2010 Budget Recommendations
Who is your MA state legislator?
Find your elected officials.
Members of the General Court
Get a list of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Legislative Process in Massachusetts
www.mass.gov/legis/lawmkng.htm
The responsibility for enacting laws in Massachusetts rests primarily with the state legislature, formally known as the General Court. It is divided into two branches: a 160-member House of Representatives and a 40-member Senate. The two legislative branches work concurrently on pending laws brought before them.
Lawmaking begins in the House or Senate Clerk's office where petitions, accompanied by bills, resolves, etc., are filed and recorded in a docket book. The clerks number the bills and assign them to appropriate joint committees. There are 26 of these committees, each responsible for studying the bills which pertain to a specific area (i.e., taxation, education, health care, insurance, etc.).
Federal
U. S. House of Representatives
U. S. Senate
Committee on Appropriations
Summary: American Recovery and Reinvestment
(Economic Stimulus Package)
Campus
Commonwealth College Advocacy
www.comcol.umass.edu/advocacy/
Media
U.S. News & World Report
States Put Squeeze on Public Universities
Public universities and colleges are expecting midyear budget cuts, again. Pick a state, and more likely than not, its sour economy is affecting higher education. Read more>
