The House-Senate conference committee deliberating the fiscal 2009 state budget is facing a potential billion-dollar shortfall which threatens to deplete almost half of the Commonwealth's reserves, leaving the state in a precarious position should an...

The state is facing a $500 million deficit in fiscal 2008 and the recently passed House budget for fiscal 2009 is at least $1 billion out of balance, creating a situation in which more than half of the state's reserves could be depleted in the next...

Massachusetts employers will spend an estimated $175 million a year for additional employee coverage under the state's health care reform law, according to a report released by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The report analyzes the broad...

Tax revenues will grow somewhat better than expected in fiscal 2008 but increase only marginally in 2009, according to a forecast released today by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

"How long will the luck hold? For the past three fiscal years the Legislature has passed budgets which depended on reserves to achieve balance. In each case tax revenues came in better than forecast, largely because of capital gains, eliminating the...

"The fiscal 2008 state budget debate turns to the Senate this week at a particularly delicate time for state finances. The final tally shows that the House added $204 million in spending during floor debate, a net increase of $171.6 million in state...

"The House Ways and Means fiscal 2008 budget, which will be debated by the full House beginning April 23, has a bottom line that is very similar to the Governor's budget proposal but rejects most of his specific initiatives. The House proposes to...

Governor Patrick's fiscal 2008 state budget includes a proposed spending increase of 3.8 percent. Tables 1 and 2 summarize his recommendations by category and track spending from 2001 to 2008. After adjusting for inflation, proposed 2008 spending is...

In its annual review of state finances, the Foundation cautions that while the Commonwealth is in its third year of financial recovery, the state's leaders now face the challenge of choosing from a long list of competing funding priorities that far...

In a new analysis of the Commonwealth's financial situation, the Foundation focuses on a mounting appetite for new initiatives that threatens to overwhelm the state's ongoing fiscal capacity.