House increases funding for ABE by $5 million
The House's overall proposal assumes a pandemic-related revenue shortfall of $3.2 billion, and includes using $1.55 billion from the state's "rainy day" fund.
What's next?
The FY21 budget process is moving quickly, as lawmakers attempt to wrap up before the current interim budget expires at the end of November. The full House is expected to debate this budget next week, and Senate leadership has been consulted in advance to minimize the need for reconciliation when the budget moves to the Senate. Legislative leaders and the Governor have said they would like to finalize the FY21 budget by Thanksgiving.
Your voices matter!
Thanks to our collective advocacy, House members recognize that your work is more important than ever. They learned from our survey of ABE programs that while programs are showing incredible resourcefulness and resiliency during COVID-19, more state investment is needed to enable programs to acquire and distribute technology to programs and students, for staff training and professional development and to adhere to state and local public health guidelines and restrictions.
Sustaining ABE programs will help the most vulnerable residents contribute to our collective recovery and is a good investment in the Commonwealth's future.
Thank you for your continued dedication and advocacy for ABE!
