BOSTON — Massachusetts senators passed their version a $32.4 billion state budget Friday that would spare a psychiatric hospital from closure, setting the stage for negotiations with the House of Representatives on a final spending plan.
The Senate passed what Senate President Therese Murray called a "fiscally conservative" budget 36-0 late Friday morning, after three days of debate.
Murray said the Senate's plan allows the state to "do things in other areas where haven't been able to" previously. She points to new funding for a psychiatric hospital in Taunton and money for personal care attendants as examples.
Senators voted Thursday to give a reprieve to the Taunton State Hospital, which Gov. Deval Patrick had planned to close, by amending the budget to provide funding for 72 beds at the facility.
In January, the Democratic governor's administration announced plans to the hospital, saying it was antiquated and not cost effective. The House's version of the budget did not include funding for the hospital, which is the only one of its kind in the area.
This issue, among others must now be examined by a six-member House-Senate conference committee that, once appointed, will be charged with resolving the differences between the Senate budget and the one previously passed by the House.
Sen. Stephen Brewer, the Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said the committee will likely assemble in the first week of June, with the hope of finishing the budget before the new fiscal year beginning on July 1.
"We have to review every carve-out from start to finish, so it takes a several weeks," he said.
The Barre Democrat said there are many areas that need to be resolved between the two versions of the budget, specifically on efforts to crack down on the alleged misuse of Electronic Benefit Transfer cards by welfare recipients.
Late Thursday, senators approved a budget amendment that prohibits the use of EBT cards in liquor stores, casinos or strip clubs. The House's version of the budget includes a lengthier list of restrictions on EBT purchases.
Brewer said the $74 million of funding added to the budget through amendments includes $5 million to the community preservation trust fund and an extra $2 million for regional school transportation that was added on the floor of the chamber.
Another measure attached to the bill was an amendment requiring mutual companies to disclose all compensation awarded to executive officers and directors.
While Senate Republicans raised concerns over the financial impact of some amendments during debate on the bill, Minority Leader Bruce Tarr praised Democratic leaders, including Brewer, for their restraint in spending and for withdrawing less from the state's reserve fund than the House is proposing.
Tarr, of Gloucester, said it would have been easy for the Senate to boost spending based on the "perceived strength of the recovery that we are now in, which may or may not continue at its current level of efficiency."
Senators rejected an $11.3 million proposal to reimburse cities and towns for providing school transportation for non-resident homeless children. The proposal, which would have funded a school transportation mandate, was included in the House of Representatives' budget proposal.
The Senate's budget plan calls for one-time revenues and some spending cuts to close a projected $1.4 billion gap between spending and revenues in the next fiscal year, and would tap the state's reserve fund, commonly known as the "rainy day" fund, for $290 million.
The House's plan included no new taxes and called for a larger withdrawal of $400 million from the rainy day fund.
Once it comes out of the conference committee, the final version of the budget then must be passed a final time by both chambers and sent to Gov. Deval Patrick for his signature.
The current fiscal year ends June 30.