Kyrouz Auditorium in Gloucester City Hall will serve as a backdrop for state lawmakers and top members of the Healey-Driscoll administration as they hash out spending on housing, economic development, and labor initiatives for fiscal 2025 on Friday.
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means hearing on Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed $56.1 billion budget is being co-chaired by state Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, and state Sen. Lydia Edwards, D-Boston. Ferrante serves as vice chair of both the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
The hearing, scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., is open to the public, but testimony is by invitation only.
“The state budget is the most important piece of legislation that is passed annually because it funds almost all aspects of the Commonwealth’s functions and programs,” Ferrante said in a prepared statement.
“Although those testifying will include constitutional officers such as the attorney general, secretariats of Economic Development, Labor and Workforce, Housing and Livable Communities and agencies, this hearing gives the public the opportunity to view the budget process.
“I’m pleased that my constituents, the residents of Cape Ann, will have the ability to see the budget process up close and personal, especially as we hear testimony on how and where the Commonwealth intends to spend its resources,” she added.
In a prepared statement, Edwards said “This hearing isn’t just about numbers. It’s about the future we’re collectively shaping. By opening the doors to transparency and accountability, we empower our constituents to actively participate in decisions that impact their lives.”
The hearing will involve the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, the Office of the Attorney General, the Executive Office of Economic Development, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and the Department of Business Development.
It will also include the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the Board of Library Commissioners, the Mass. Cultural Council, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Cannabis Control Commission.
Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@gloucestertimes.com.