Spilka says ‘we will get it done’ on federal aid spend
Lawmakers determining the best way to use funds
Senate President Karen Spilka promised Beacon Hill lawmakers “will get it done” on spending nearly $5 billion in unused federal coronavirus dollars that officials have been sitting on since May.
“I believe history will be judged not on how fast we spend the money but on how wise and efficiently we spend it,” the Ashland Democrat said during a Sunday appearance on WCVB’s “On the Record.”
Lawmakers are sitting on about $4.9 billion in remaining local aid given to the state under President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act in May.
“We are trying to figure out the best way spend significant amounts of money — to have a bold and transformative approach,” Spilka said.
“We will get it done,” she added.
Rather than allow Republican Gov. Charlie Baker to spend the money as he did all prior relief bills, the Democrat-led state Legislature swiped control of the funds and opted for a months-long process with six public hearings to help develop a spending plan.
“Five billion seems like a lot of money, but it goes quickly,” Spilka said.
Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, have said they “hope” to have a bill out to spend “some” of the ARPA funds on immediate priorities by Thanksgiving.
What those investments will include remains a mystery, but Spilka on Sunday identified housing and mental health as priorities.
If a bill doesn’t come out by Thanksgiving, it will push the spending plan into 2022 with lawmakers scheduled to be on break until after the New Year.
States have until 2024 to allocate the cash and until the end of 2026 to spend it, but 33 states have already earmarked money or started spending in an effort to address pressing needs exacerbated by the pandemic.
Gov. Charlie Baker allocated $394 million of the nearly $5.3 billion given to Massachusetts before state lawmakers snatched the purse strings, but no more has been spent.
Seven states — California, Indiana, Maine, Montana, Oregon, New York and Connecticut — have already allocated more than 90% of the fund they received.
Seventeen states have either taken no action, or information on disbursement of ARPA funds was not yet available.