House releases budget for higher education
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005

An agreement was worked out today with the House leadership on health insurance premiums.

As of Jan. 1, 2006 - all employees who are currently under the split of 80/20 will go to back to the 85/15 split. Employees who are under the 75/25 split will go to 80/20. New employees will pay 20 percent. Rep. Marty Walsh (D-Dorchester) was the state representative who pushed to get this agreement and worked all week along with the public employee labor coalition to lobby legislators to make this happen. This will be voted on later tonight as part of a larger (consolidated) amendment. No opposition is expected.

During the budget process the House voted to increase the budget for UMass another $3 million in addition to the $5 million increase contained in the House Ways & Means budget over the FY05 budget.

The House added another $1.1 million to state and community colleges in addition to $4.4 million to state colleges and $6.5 to community colleges.

More detailed information will be sent out later.