Patrick signs $27.04b state budget

After vetoing $147 million in line items, Gov. Deval Patrick on June 29 signed a $27.04 billion state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The line item vetoes issued by Patrick included $1.5 million from the appropriation for the University system. The action reduced funding for the five-campus system from about $413,398,000 to about $411,898,000.

The spending bill cuts aid to cities and towns by nearly 30 percent and includes an increase in the sales tax. It also raises the share of health insurance paid by state employees.

June 30, 2009.