November 8, 2001

Dear Colleagues:

The House and Senate met in extended caucuses yesterday, which were focused almost entirely on the tax cut rollback issue and whether each house has the sufficient votes to override a promised gubernatorial veto. Reportedly, serious negotiations are going on in the conference committee to produce an FY 2002 budget, which is not expected this week. This morning's Boston Globe reports that a budget is more likely prior to Thanksgiving, with each house indicating that they would return in formal session in December for veto overrides. (There are three articles of interest about the legislature in this morning's Globe Metro section.)

On Tuesday, Arline Isaacson and I spent the entire day meeting with legislators, including several in leadership positions. Consideration is being given to postponing action on the various collective bargaining agreements until January. It is, therefore, all the more important that members return the corrected lobbying postcards when they receive them this week, and contact state reps and senators by phone and email to urge action on our contract funding this month.

A letter to the editor of MetroWest News (Framingham area) about the contract funding will be published soon. I have also written an op-ed column about the issue to submit for publication in all nine state college student newspapers and the regional newspapers that are published around the state colleges.

Pat Markunas
MSCA President

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