GOP reps get way; budget OK comes with amendment
Billerica's Lombardo and Andover's Lyons wanted Patrick administration to supply breakdown of public-benefit recipients

lowellsun.com
By Chris Camire
Updated: 10/18/2011 10:29:35 AM EDT

BOSTON -- A two-day Republican standoff with Democratic leaders over the passage of a $480 million supplemental budget ended last night, after the Patrick administration agreed to meet GOP demands.

Several Republican lawmakers, including State Rep. Marc Lombardo of Billerica, had holed up in the House chamber, refusing to give up on a House-approved amendment that would require the Patrick administration to provide a detailed breakdown of different types of public-benefit recipients.

Lombardo joined Rep. James Lyons, of Andover, yesterday afternoon for the vigil in a virtually empty chamber. Lyons, who authored the amendment, had been in the chamber for much of the last two days.

Lyons agreed to allow the passage of the bill around 6 p.m. after receiving a phone call from Judy Ann Bigby, Secretary of Health & Human Services. Lyons said Bigby told him the administration would provide lawmakers with the budget information they were seeking.

"It was a combination of the administration working with the Republican leadership to get this done," said Lyons.

Because the House was meeting informally, it only took one lawmaker to object to the bill being passed without a roll call. Lyons held up the budget bill until 9 Thursday night when leadership had to adjourn because House rules don't allow the branch to meet beyond 9 p.m.

The amendment the Republicans were pushing would require the budget include a detailed breakdown of taxpayer-funded benefits, including any that go to people living out of state or illegal immigrants. The amendment was previously backed by the House, but the Senate removed it.

Lombardo arrived just before 1 p.m. yesterday. He sent Twitter messages from the floor under the hashtag #occupythestatehouse, a play on the Occupy Wall Street protests cropping up across the nation, including downtown Boston. Lombardo said he and his colleagues are demanding a roll-call vote on the House's plan to strip Lyons' amendment to the bill.

"The government should have transparency in its operations," said Lombardo. "The amendment is to have the governor give us a report to show how much money is being spent on illegals. It's not an unreasonable one and is extremely important given the magnitude of problems illegals have caused here in recent months."

The chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party sharply criticized Lyons and Lombardo later in the day for delaying the implementation of funding within the bill, which has been earmarked for education, roadwork and help for the disabled.

"The freshman Republican representative from Andover -- along with state Rep. Marc Lombardo, who is supporting him -- knows very well that there is a good way for them to get their legislation passed. It's called rallying support for their ideas," said John Walsh, chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. "Instead, they are holding hostage much needed education funds and money for needed road and other projects in Andover and all over the state."

Lombardo shot back, "It's shocking to me that Mr. Walsh would not want his fellow Democrats to cast a roll call to let the taxpayers know where their dollars are being spent when it comes to the state budget."

In addition to sending $350 million to the state's rainy-day fund, the spending bill also includes millions of dollars for communities affected by tornadoes, floods and the ice storm, and will allow the state comptroller to close the books on fiscal 2011, making an estimated $65 million available in local aid to cities and towns.

Also briefly participating in the standoff yesterday was Mark Cusack, of Braintree, and Daniel Webster, of Pembroke.

Lombardo left the Statehouse around 5 p.m. to attend a previously scheduled event.

The stalemate could have stretched into next week had Bigby not reached out to Lyons. Informal sessions are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, but no formal sessions are scheduled.

Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.

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